Tired of Congressional Waste Going Unchallenged ???

News Type: Event — Seeded on Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:48 AM EDT

Article Source: Porkbusters

politics, senate, waste, corporate-government, pork

Want to have some accountability in Congress? Here's a chance to get involved and become sleuths in the fight to expose those who seek to hide the truth about waste from the American public.

Senators Tom Coburn and Barak Obama have proposed S.2590, legislation that would create a single website with access to information on nearly all recipients of federal funding. The bill cannot proceed, however, because one or more Senators placed a "secret hold" on it.

Who is the secret holder? We want to know, and we want your help finding out. Call your Senator, and ask them to go on the record denying that they placed the hold. Then e-mail Porkbusters and let us know what they said! Senators who issue denials will be removed from the suspect list --- and those who do not, won't!

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Pamela Drew's Column, All of Newsvine
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Public Discussion (9)

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1.1

{"commentId":267769,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}

Pamela Drew

Here's the article from the Federal Times that describes the bill and the secret hold that was put on it. Check with porkbusters for the list of suspects and call the Capitol switchboard and ask for the legislative assistant, LA or the press secretary. The number is 202-224-3121 and while members are vacationing, staff work full schedules.

{"commentId":267769,"threadId":"39230","contentId":"342392","authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}

4 votes

#1 - Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:52 AM EDT

{"commentId":268423,"authorDomain":"farmer"}

oldfogey

Pamela, I was happy to find that neither Ohio Senator was on the list. They must have seen me coming.

{"commentId":268423,"threadId":"39230","contentId":"342392","authorDomain":"farmer"}

4 votes

#2 - Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:00 PM EDT

{"commentId":268597,"authorDomain":"akj"}

akj

Well, unless there is a time when the name will be publicly revealed (without your method), what would keep a Senator (who, again, is behind this bureaucratic nonsense) from just issuing a denial regardless of the truth of it?

{"commentId":268597,"threadId":"39230","contentId":"342392","authorDomain":"akj"}

#3 - Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:22 PM EDT

{"commentId":268635,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}

Pamela Drew

They tend to be careful to avoid lying flat out when someone is on the trail. The evasive maneuvers by the Press Aides tend to be honed to an art form. On the other hand, everyone who's in the clear will be very anxious to jump on the safe side. It's like a musical chairs where we have the last standing. Who's doled the most pork? Who has the most to hide? Who won't answer? We don't have to prove who, just get a good list of suspects and like rats on a sinking ship they scurry at the end.

{"commentId":268635,"threadId":"39230","contentId":"342392","authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}

3 votes

#3.1 - Mon Aug 28, 2006 9:03 PM EDT

{"commentId":268702,"authorDomain":"akj"}

akj

Given what I would expect to be the intrinsic lack of popularity with making a "secret hold" in the first place, I'm not sure it matters much at that point if you throw one more lie on the fire.

I guess if the Senator(s) using this method sincerely believe(s) it to be an earnest action that benefits the American people, it might matter later that he/she/they did not outright lie about placing the hold. If that was the case, however, any politician worth his/her salt would step right up and declare that he/she/they is/are responsible for this.

{"commentId":268702,"threadId":"39230","contentId":"342392","authorDomain":"akj"}

#3.2 - Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:11 PM EDT

{"commentId":268790,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}

Pamela Drew

People, especially political leaders, hide their actions when it will make them look bad. They are quite quick about stomping for things they think make them look good to their voters. Often those things look bad in the eyes of the nation but mean jobs at home or something their voters can justify. If they're hiding it's dirty.

{"commentId":268790,"threadId":"39230","contentId":"342392","authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}

1 vote

#3.3 - Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:38 PM EDT

{"commentId":268821,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}

Pamela Drew

The PORKBUSTERS are getting legs in cyberspace. Here's an update on the campaign catching fire.

{"commentId":268821,"threadId":"39230","contentId":"342392","authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}

1 vote

#4 - Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:06 AM EDT

{"commentId":269044,"authorDomain":"mcgillert"}

mcgillert

Well, Virginia is in the clear. It's totally Ted Stevens, I bet.

{"commentId":269044,"threadId":"39230","contentId":"342392","authorDomain":"mcgillert"}

#5 - Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:51 AM EDT

{"commentId":272643,"authorDomain":"miasma"}

miasma

CENSURE TED STEVENS

{"commentId":272643,"threadId":"39230","contentId":"342392","authorDomain":"miasma"}

1 vote

#6 - Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:34 PM EDT

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PAMELA DREW

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Tired of Congressional Waste Going Unchallenged ???

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