Is anyone else up late watching the C-SPAN2 coverage of Rep. Conyer’s Democratic hearing on domestic spying (1/20/2006)? Fascinating…

The Senate blocked oil drilling in an Alaska wildlife refuge Wednesday, rejecting a must-pass defense spending bill where supporters positioned the quarter-century-old environmental issue to garner broader support, according to the Associated Press.

Drilling backers fell four votes short of getting the required 60 votes to avoid a threatened filibuster of the defense measure over the oil drilling issue. Senate leaders were expected to withdraw the legislation so it could be reworked without the refuge language. The vote was 56-44.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist was among those who for procedural reasons cast a “no” vote, so that he could bring the drilling issue up for another vote.

The vote was a stinging defeat for Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who for years has waged an intense fight to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He had thought this time he would finally get his wish.

Stevens called the refuge’s oil vital to national security and bemoaned repeated attempts over the years by opponents using the filibuster to kill drilling proposals.

Democrats, conversely, accused Stevens of holding hostage a military spending bill that includes money to support troops in Iraq and $29 billion for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“Our military is being held hostage by this issue, Arctic drilling,” fumed Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic leader. The Nevada Democrat said the Senate could move quickly to pass the defense bill once the refuge issue was resolved.

“We all agree we want money for our troops. … This is not about the troops,” said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., a strong critic of letting oil development disturb the refuge in northeastern Alaska.

Full AP story

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, is holding up the United States Senate from passing a defense authorization bill to fund the troops in Iraq and a measure to provide further relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, simply to add a measure allowing big oil to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

This not only violates Senate rules, it is an abomination to thinking Americans everywhere and should be stopped.

Turn to C-SPAN 2 now to watch the debate live.

Read the AP story: Senate Vote on Alaska Oil Drilling Too Close to Call

Then call your Senators and object. Also call your local television news stations and find out why they are not covering this crucial time in the history of democracy. Even the cable TV news shows are ignoring this.

With only five days to go before Christmas, a debate is still raging in the U.S. Senate over the budget and defense spending, with the issues of domestic spying authorized by the Bush administration and oil drilling in Alaska as important side issues. Watch democracy at work.

C-SPAN 2