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August 30, 2006BELTWAY BLOGROLL
The 'Secret Holder' Is Sen. Ted Stevens
TPM Muckraker got an aide to Sen. Ted Stevens to acknowledge that the Alaska Republican is behind the "secret hold" on legislation designed to combat pork-barrel spending by federal lawmakers.
Cox Newspapers also did a story today on the disclosure and Stevens' reason for the hold. He said the anti-pork bill needs a cost-benefit analysis on the grounds that it could increase bureaucracy.
Mark Tapscott, whose vision triggered the blog swarm over the secret hold, ridiculed Stevens' explanation. "How about we do a cost-benefit analysis of Stevens' tenure in the nation's Capitol?" Tapscott said of the senator whose love of pork has animated bloggers for months.
Stevens' aide also said this to Cox Newspapers: "Senator Stevens has always preferred to handle this at the staff level or member to member. He doesn’t like running to the blogosphere or the media. ... Going to the blogs and the media with these concerns is not the way we have ever operated.”
The gentleman from Alaska might want to reconsider that approach in light of what has transpired the past two weeks. This is the information age, and people aren't content for their elected representatives to keep information to themselves or their aides.
Posted by Danny | 04:23 PM
