GOP House Members Tour ANWR

GOP House Minority leader John Boehner and nine other congressmen took a junket to Alaske to actually check out ANWR and the oil production facilities on the North Slope. This was a smart move as they can better debate the issue of drilling there with firsthand experience and pictures about where the oil companies want to drill. Michelle Bachman has a write up and a few pictures posted at Townhall. She makes a good point about the caribou that the environuts are so desparate to protect.

Although many have been skeptical about the relationship between oil production and the surrounding wildlife and environment, we were given evidence that the two can co-exist. The best piece of evidence was the documented increase in size of a herd of native caribou near the Prudhoe Bay facilities. Since the facilities began its operations in the 1970s, the heard has increased its size from 5,000 to around 30,000 today.

Sounds to me like the caribou don't really mind us drilling there at all.
This brings me to a point about John McCain's stance on drilling in ANWR, one of my sticking points with him. He has criticized Obama for forming policy positions on Iraq and Afghanistan without having visited there well he has set a policy position on drilling in ANWR without having visited there. I guarantee many millions of American voters care more about seeing a larger chunk of their budget going into their gas tank than a few mosquitos and caribou. Many millions of us can't just go buy a small car and drive less or take public transportation as is the Democrat's position. I need my truck to do my job as a self employed contractor and its paid for to boot, plus I don't like driving a beer can car. Another thing about these over hyped hybrids is their exorbitant costs that will not be covered in fuel savings in their relatively short lifespans.