U.S. Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, also opposed Sen. Richard Burr's amendment that would bar the Navy from building an outlying landing field on two sites in Camden and Gates counties.

"Senator Burr, Senator [Kay] Hagan have both been very eloquent in their positions. … The Navy has not done a particularly good job."

Levin pointed out that the committee had adopted language from Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia that would require the Navy to extensively consult with local communities, reports Barb Barrett.

"It is simply not good public policy for Congress to prematurely limit training locations, particularly when those sites have not fully been evaluated by the military," Levin said.

U.S. Sens. John McCain and Carl Levin just agreed on the Senate floor to bring up the Burr Amendment to the defense authorization bill this afternoon.

That would be the amendment to keep the Navy from building an outlying landing field at either of two sites in Gates and Camden counties. The two locations are among several the Navy is considering.

Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan tried to get the amendment passed in the Senate Armed Services Committee but failed. Now, they’ll try again on the Senate floor, reports Barb Barrett. Expect Burr on the Senate floor this afternoon (C-SPAN 2 if you’re a junkie) to talk about his amendment. Hagan may speak as well.

A vote on the OLF amendment could come later today.

Sen. Kay Hagan has also wagered on tonight's game.

The Greensboro Democrat bet Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin over the NCAA men's basketball championship game tonight between Carolina and Michigan State.

If the Tar Heels lose, Hagan will give the two Michigan Democrats barbecue, Cheerwine and dessert from Cheesecakes by Alex, a Greensboro baker.

If Michigan loses, they'll give her Little Caesar's Pizza, Verner's ginger ale and Mackinac Island fudge.

"They're trying to make us gain our campaign weight back," joked Hagan spokesman Dave Hoffman.

Previously: Gov. Beverly Perdue bets Michigan governor.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole faced two key votes on mileage standards in 2003.

At the time, the U.S. Senate was considering a mammoth energy bill, with debate going on for more than two months. Two of the many proposed amendments to the bill touched on Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for cars, trucks and SUVs.

At the time, the mileage standards were 27.5 mpg for cars and 20 mpg for SUVs and minivans.

Durbin Amendment: Sen. Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, proposed raising mileage standards by specific amounts, including a benchmark of 32 miles per gallon by 2008. The amendment failed 65-32, with Dole voting against it.

On the Senate floor, Durbin argued that the existing standards were causing "more air pollution" and "creating a bigger soup in the atmosphere to heat up our planet Earth."

Bond-Levin Amendment: Sens. Christopher Bond, a Missouri Republican, and Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, then proposed directing the Secretary of Transportation to raise mileage standards to the "maximum feasible" amount. The amendment passed 66-30, with Dole voting for it.

Arguing for his amendment, Bond said that too-high standards would lead to more dangerous car accidents and said that car buyers favor safety over mileage standards.

In the end, both votes were a moot point, since the Senate energy bill was shelved and never came to a vote.

In an e-mail to Dome today, a Dole staffer said the Durbin standards were "arbitrary" and would have favored foreign automakers.

"The amendment that was rejected would have been unrealistic and have cost thousands of manufacturing jobs," wrote Marty Ryall.