The answer

Pete asked the question below about how long it wouldbe until ANWR got brought into the current fracas about gas prices - well, that would be, umm, right away.

From CNN.com:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Every American taxpayer would get a $100 rebate check to offset the pain of higher pump prices for gasoline, under an amendment Senate Republicans hope to bring to a vote Thursday.

However, the GOP energy package may face tough sledding because it also includes a controversial proposal to open part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil exploration, which most Democrats and some moderate Republicans oppose.


These guys (to be specific, Charles Grassley of Iowa, Ted Stevens of Alaska, Pete Domenici of New Mexico and Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania - although not for long) will stop at nothing to drill in Alaska, despite the fact that it wouldn't produce oil for a decade and would have a minimal (few percent at most) impact on gas prices and oil supply. It's nothing more than another big sloppy kiss to the oil industry, which, believe it or not, is crying poor.

And are these guys offering this up as a bill which could stand or fall on it's own merits? Of course not. They're attempting to attach it to an amendment to an emergency spending bill which deals with Bush's murderous folly in Iraq and the still suffering Gulf Coast's attempt to rebuild after Katrina and Rita.

Now, part of the bill seems to deal with accountability for the oil companies (they want to examine tax returns), but that's just a political ploy. There's no way in hell this amendment will pass (it needs 60 votes), but it will allow these morons to stand up and say "We tried to hold big oil accountable, and the Democrats didn't want to help the American people", even though they're full of crap.

Oh, and as for the $100? Who's paying for that? Where does the money come from? That's right - Hu, and China, as the national debt goes up to pay for unrestrained spending by the GOP.