Why has Akaka been voting to the right recently (bankruptcy and now ANWR)?

[fujiyama]

What's his deal? I know Inouye's cave in. His was based on the old arrangement they set up with AK. Fine...But atleast Inouye did vote the right way on the bankruptcy legislation.

[rwork]

1. NPR

said today that he did it for the indigenous people of Alaska who wanted the drilling.

[Viking12]

2. WTF?? What about the indigeous people that don't???

The fate of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the fate of
the Gwich'in Nation. If the Arctic Refuge is sacrificed to meet the high energy consumption needs of the US, the Gwich'in will not be able to continue our ancestral way of life and pass it on to our future generations as we have since time immemorial.

http://www.lisn.net/Attic/gwichin.html

[atreides1]

3. As a Native Hawaiian....

...my own personal feeling is that he traded for a favorable consideration for the Native Hawaiians, but I doubt that he will get it.

They already have his vote, they don't need to give him anything now.

[fujiyama]

4. Yep

You got it.

You don't make deals with fascists.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Because he is a Hawaiian Judas, that's why.

[napi21]

6. Don't know about the bankruptcy bill, but ANWAR was Ak economy.

Don't know if it's true or not, but I've heard several times that unemployment in AK is pretty bad, and a lot of the residents want the jobs the drilling will bring.

I can't say that I blame them. If my survival and that of my family was in danger, I don't think I'd be too concerned about the wildlife and beauty of the refuge area.