The approach by Republican Sens. Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski is, in part at least, a strategic move in their longstanding effort to open drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

But while this makes some limited sense, all there is by way of evidence is this odd quote from Stevens:

"I think we ought to identify ourselves with the people who say, 'Look, we want to have as much control as possible over the vehicles that burn this gas that is derived from our oil production,"' Stevens said. "I also think we have to stand up to the people that want to stop any development in Alaska because there is excess, in their opinion, excess emissions from the use of automobiles today."

In short: people want to block drilling in the pristine Alaskan wilderness because cars emit too much CO2 ... and if cars emitted less CO2, drilling in the Alaskan refuge would be just fine. Wha?

Stevens sees money in the refuge. He wants it. But dirty hippies who aren't from Alaska keep stopping him from grabbing it. It's very frustrating for him. In his pea-sized reptilian brain, he's struggled to put together some chain of reasoning. "Dirty hippies hate cars. Me give dirty hippies cleaner cars. They leave Hulk alone to drill!"

Our leaders.