MoJo suggests Florida Republican is key vote

Mother Jones Magazine suggests in this recent article that Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., may be a crucial fence-sitter in ANWR's fate due to secret handshakes he has made with the Bush Administration over offshore drilling in Florida.

Martinez won election to his seat on a promise that he would not allow offshore oil drilling in Florida. According to MoJo, he agreed to support ANWR drilling in the notorious March 16 vote on the condition that the feds would extend a drilling ban off the Florida coast.

But critics at home say Martinez didn't go far enough, and they're pushing him to do more. That pressure may force Martinez to withdraw his support for ANWR drilling, which could be crucial if the issue remains part of the federal budget bill.