Daylife/Getty Images used by permission

“NO” – I must drill oil wells next to national parks.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked President Obama’s choice to be the number two official at the Department of the Interior.

On a vote of 57 to 39, they sustained a filibuster against David Hayes to be deputy interior secretary. It marked the first time the Senate has voted against one of Obama’s nominees.

Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, is leading the fight against Hayes. He says his opposition is not about Hayes’ qualifications. Rather, Bennett says, the administration has not adequately answered his questions about why oil and gas leases in his state — which were approved in the last days of the Bush administration — were canceled by the Obama administration. He called the actions “political.”

The leases were “approved” by dimwit issuing one of his midnight executive orders before he was shoved out the door.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said the disputed leases are near national parks and the Interior Department did not cancel the leases but pulled them for review.

Reid said, “David Hayes will be confirmed. If I have to wait until Al Franken comes, he is going to be confirmed. … Everyone should understand that,” he said Wednesday. “If we happen to lose this today, I will just move to reconsider until we have the votes.”

Cripes – it took reporters reminding another batch of Republicans that hurricane season was coming before they relented on Craig Fugate as the new head of FEMA. And we all remember what a terrific job the Republicans did with that agency.