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Tuesday, August 29, 2006

The Secret Hold

Currently Porkbusters, along with sites like TPM's Muckraker, are trying to find out who in the Senate put the secret hold on the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 which would create a publicly searchable database available on the internet of all federal grants and contracts.

Obviously, such free public disclosure of government spending would be helpful in combatting overzealous government spending.

To help narrow down the suspect list I called my Senator, Byron Dorgan, at his Washington D.C. office asked about the bill. His office told me that Senator Dorgan and the members of his staff who could answer my question are currently traveling in North Dakota. I was able to leave a voice mail with Gabriele Adler, the member of Dorgan's staff I was directed to, so hopefully he'll be calling me back about this soon.

Brett Narloch of TakingBackND called North Dakota's other Senator, Kent Conrad, and was told by the lady who answered that she couldn't speak for Senator Conrad and that we should keep checking the Senator's website to find out more.

That's a pretty lame response from Conrad, if you ask me. I'll update this post if we get any more info.

Update:

According to Dale Wetzel (North Dakota's Associated Press guy) in the comments both Conrad and Dorgan have denied being responsible for the secret hold.

Comments

Avatar for Dale Wetzel

Both Sen. Dorgan and Sen. Conrad have not placed the hold, according to spokesmen Barry Piatt (Dorgan) and Christopher Thorne (Conrad)

Dale Wetzel on August 29, 2006 at 11:22 am
Rob
Rob
18056 comments
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Thank you Mr. Wetzel.  Neither office had contacted me back, but I was thinking they weren’t involved as when I talked to Dorgan’s office they didn’t even seem to know what I was asking about.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

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Rob on August 29, 2006 at 11:24 am
Avatar for Dale Wetzel

No problem. Please call me Dale. I e-mailed the info to TPM yesterday, but it bounced back with a message that the mailbox was full. It wasn’t clear to me which mail address to use, so I used the “hot tips” addy.

Dale Wetzel on August 29, 2006 at 11:29 am
Rob
Rob
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Sure, thanks again.

I probably should have done this a couple of days ago.  Just hadn’t really thought of it I guess.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

robport.gif border=0

Rob on August 29, 2006 at 11:32 am
Avatar for realitybasedbob

Rumors on the internets are calling the “bridge to nowhere” Senator from Alaska, also known for his astute description of our dear internet:

“The Internet is not something you just dump something on. It’s not a truck. It’s a series of tubes”

God bless you Mr. Stevens. Thanks for all the laughs. Good luck in November.

realitybasedbob on August 29, 2006 at 12:22 pm
Avatar for 2Hotel9

My vote goes to the RINO in chief, Arlen Sphincter. Doing things in secret is his favorite past time.

2Hotel9 on August 29, 2006 at 12:34 pm
Avatar for The Whistler

You just catch on to that boob?

The Whistler on August 29, 2006 at 12:36 pm
Avatar for FreeRepublicans.com

My vote goes to the RINO in chief, Arlen Sphincter. Doing things in secret is his favorite past time.

That was my thought as well, he think’s he’s so cool with his lawyerisms and such.

FreeRepublicans.com on August 29, 2006 at 12:41 pm
Avatar for 2Hotel9

Yeah, to bad all his lawyerisms are from Scotland.

2Hotel9 on August 29, 2006 at 12:47 pm
Avatar for aNONOMOMISLY

My bet is on Ted “the Hulk” Steven . ..fiscal conservatives (Coburn, etc) and Democrats have embarassed him.  Being the president pro tempore of the Senate, The Hulk has lots of power. and he is also very big on payback/getting even..

..read this article by Rober Novak!!!!

to make this post more Neutral let me say my second bet is on his fellow Paleo-Senator, but I highly doubt it.  (I’m willing to put the overwhelming majority of my money on Ted Stevens)

aNONOMOMISLY on August 29, 2006 at 09:31 pm
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