In the ways of Washington, the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, also known as ANWR, has been linked to the funding of war.

What does drilling for oil in pristine Alaska wilderness and our nation's defense spending have to do with each other?

Absolutely nothing.

But it's the way business gets done in Congress.

Put a small controversial measure into a big military package that can't possibly be voted down, and watch how quickly everything becomes law.

Abuse of power?

No, it's power politics, where oil drilling is quite literally shoved down our throats.

Congress could separate ANWR from war and continue an open and focused discussion on the merits of opening up a 1.5 million-acre strip of land in Alaska for the sake of oil dollars.

But why bother? Especially when a tough debate with passionate environmentalists can be avoided.

Hawai'i's senators, among the last line of defense for ANWR, should vote against the drilling. But Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel K. Inouye aren't inclined to cross their good friend and fellow non-contiguous American, Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.

And they have long been on record as supporting this project — Inouye on grounds of oil security, and Akaka on grounds of deference to the wishes of (at least some) of the indigenous residents of the area.

Stevens, a man who never met a pipeline he didn't like, is the bill's main proponent and savvy of the ways of Washington.

Frank talk on the value of preserving ANWR and the harm to polar bears and caribou and America's last remaining pristine wilderness would have been nice.

But Stevens knows that would take a filibuster, and senators would rather be flying home for Christmas.

So this is Stevens' gift to them. And it only costs them a little natural beauty.