Let's Connect the Dots on Alaskan Oil and the U.S. Trade Deficit, Shall We?

Let's connect the dots from two current headlines:

1.  U.S. Economy:  Petroleum Imports Lead to Record Trade Deficit  "The U.S. trade deficit widened to a record $66.1 billion in September as petroleum imports surged after Hurricane Katrina disrupted production in the Gulf Coast."

2. U.S. House Leaders Strip Alaska Oil Drilling from Budget Plan  "U.S. House Republican leaders removed from a $50.5 billion budget-cutting plan a provision that would have opened an Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling . . . ."

Let's see . . . U.S. oil imports have led to a record trade deficit.  Therefore, the solution is to make sure that we DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES develop our own domestic oil resources.  Because it might get in the way of the caribou.  (Sigh.)

You heard it right.  According to Mother Jones, "The Bush-Cheney oil drilling plan could endanger the Arctic's largest caribou herd—and the people who depend on it."  Here's the most memorable quote:  "It's a tough life being a caribou . . . ."

Tell me about it.

Michelle Malkin has dismayed reaction to the decision to shelve ANWR drilling.  According to Malkin, the "group who succeeded in pressuring the GOP to cave in calls itself the Republican Main Street Partnership."  She adds that the Main Street leaders who helped broker the deal to eliminate ANWR from budget cuts are:  Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH), Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), Rep. Jim Walsh (R-NY), Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-MI), RMSP Executive Director Sarah Chamberlain Resnick.

So now you know who to thank.  Send them a card from the caribou.