Dean's World

So who is the anonymous Senator?

I just sent a polite note to both of my Senators. You should feel free to send something similar to both of your own Senators--you have only two, after all. Here's what I sent:

Hi Senator (Levin, Stabenow). I have a question: are you the anonymous Senator who is blocking S. 2590? Because if you are I would like you to stop blocking it. If you aren't, please let me know. Thanks.

Dean Esmay, Westland MI

Yeah it really was that simple. So why don't you do the same? You can look up your own Senators right here.

It's sort of telling that the government can't keep its mouth shut about secret terrorist wiretaps and secret terrorist financial tracking programs, but somehow this information manages to stay under wraps despite public pressure. Where's the NYT when we need a leak that promotes accountability rather than damaging national security?

Priorities, I guess.

Dean's World reader Martha Ferguson writes:

Dean, I just sent a similar note to my senators (IN-Bayh and Lugar). If we get responses, perhaps it would be possible to hone in on the anonymous senator through the process of elimination. After all, there are only 100 of them.

You bet. Once again, you can look up and email your Senators right here.

(Hey, this is getting fun isn't it?)

Could the Secret Senator be my own Debbie Stabenow? Mary Katherine Ham thinks so. I'm a little skeptical. She's a first-term Senator running for re-election for the first time. I can't imagine she's got that much to hide in this legislation.

Still, I did write to her. We'll see if she responds. (You can still write to your own Senators by clicking here.)

Update: So far, 58 Senators have issued denials.

Now 72 Senators have denied holding up the bill.

Neither of my two Senators is on record yet. No answer to my emails...

Update: We're now up to 79, and I'm pleased to say that both of my Senators, Levin and Stabenow, have denied placing the hold.

Update 2: Up to 92 93 denials. Only 8 7 left. I'm still betting it's Robert Byrd...

If this story is true, then suddenly I feel suckered.

I mean, it's nice to see the Senate responsive and all--which is as it should be--but if it's true that this procedural move could only have caused a few days of delay, then this was a big stink made over nothing, wasn't it?

*Update*: Ed has posted an update, and says:

Dean Esmay says he feels suckered with all of the Secret Holder publicity, saying that all we would have lost without the Porkbusting effort was six days. However, this means six legislative days, and there are only 15 of them before the election, according to Frist. The hold would make the calendar very tight, especially considering all of the appropriations bills awaiting action in the Senate. And don't forget that the House still has to take up S. 2590 after the Senate passes it.

Also, one should consider the message that our effort sent. The national attention should convice politicians that a new era of openness in government has come, even if we have to thrust it upon them.

...only these five Senators have refused to unequivocally deny holding up transparency and accountability reform:

Byrd, Robert C.- (D - WV) Gregg, Judd- (R - NH) Hatch, Orrin G.- (R - UT) Stevens, Ted- (R - AK) Bennett, Robert F.- (R - UT) - a staffer denied, but not unequivocally

All 95 other Senators have unequivocally denied the hold.

I think the smart money at this point is indeed on either Robert Byrd or Ted Stevens. Even Crapo has now gone public with an official "no."

Last night I thought this might all be much ado about nothing, but I now think I was wrong. With proper delaying, this thing could effectively be buried despite its wide bipartisan support. Hopefully you folks in West Virginia, New Hampshire, Utah, and Arkansas will contact your Senators. You can find their contact information easily right here.

(Oh and by the way, four Republicans and one Democrat? Republicans like to talk big on ending wasteful spending, but apparently they're all talk eh?)

Update: It's starting to look more and more like Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. That would be no surprise at all.

Senator Byrd admits to placing the hold, and has now lifted it.

Now that's neat.

More here.

In Byrd's defense, he said he simply hadn't had time to review the bill and didn't want it rushed to the floor before everyone had a chance to read it. I will say he does not have a history of being technophobic either. Indeed, he was the Senator who was responsible for letting television cameras into the Senate with C-Span. So I can cut the old Byrd [pun intended] some slack. The bill looks like it's going to go through...

*Update*: Whoah, it was also Stevens! Stevens and Byrd *both* put on holds, and have *both* lifted them! Well well well, what are the odds that the two biggest pork kings in the Senate would *both* try to stall a bill that would increase transparency in congressional spending?

WOW!

We actually did it!