Blogosphere OUTS dicatorial, PORK-BARREL Sen. Ted Stevens...
BRAVO! IN a stunning new case of cooperation between those on the "lefty" (liberal, progressive, democratic) side of the blogosphere and 'conservative' (or right-wing) activists, these unified Liberal and Conservative sleuths from the Left AND Right tracked down the "obstructionist" Senator who was, single-handedly, BLOCKING a senate bill to POST ALL GOVERMENT SPENDING, and especially 'PORK BARREL" "ear-marks", in a Google-type searchable on-line database that would be available to all viewers.
And the guilty party is.. Conservative curmudugeon Senator TED STEVENS of Alaska, the imperious right-winger who feels that he is lord and master, not only of the state of Alaska, but the ENTIRE Senate budget process of the United States of America as well.
Senator Stevens, WELCOME TO DEMOCRACY, American style!
WE THE PEOPLE are YOUR boss, NOT the other way around!
We here at C-dems.blgspt.com are DELIGHTED that Righties are joining the fight to MAKE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE to voters... in this case, against the Right-Wing Republican-dominated government which can not only issue a SECRET veto on behalf of a single senator, but in the case of Katrina reconstruction contracts, Iraq reconstruction contracts, Iraq war contracts, and dozens of other cases of federal spending, that government provides NO OVERSIGHT or ACCOUNTABILITY whatsoever.
And since the concept of GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY to voters is what we call "liberal democracy," which in turn is a development of the rationalism and intellectual curiousity of THE AGE OF ENLIGHTMENT (which in turn followed the reforms of the Renaissance and Reformation), HOLDING GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE is not only a "liberal' concept, BUT SOMETHING for liberals AND conservatives TO BE PROUD OF.
Caught Red-Handed: Stevens Blocked Creation of Federal Spending Database
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/08/30/stevens-caught/
Last week, an “unidentified senator” placed a hold on legislation introduced by Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) that would create a easily-accessible Google-like database of all federal spending, which totaled $2.5 trillion last year.
The bill appeared to be headed for passage after being approved unanimously in committee. However, the anonymous senator’s hold on the bill prevented it from coming to a vote.
In response, liberals and conservatives worked together to ask every Senate office whether they had placed a hold on the bill. Of all 100 senators, only Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) would not deny placing the hold. In addition, one of the bill’s leading sponsors, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), said of Stevens, “he’s the only senator blocking it.” Stevens’s opposition to such a bill is not surprising; he is one of the most prolific earmarkers in the Senate:
– In 2005, Stevens helped slip in legislation to begin construction on the “Bridge to Nowhere,” earmarking over $200 million for a bridge to an island home to 50 people. When an amendment jeopardized funding for the project, Stevens threatened to resign.
– Later that year, Stevens tried to insert an amendment into the national defense bill allowing oil drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. When the Senate struck the provision, Stevens called it “the saddest day of my life” and has “written off” Senate friends who opposed drilling.
– This year, Stevens earmarked $450,000 to research baby food made from salmon and over $1 million for “alternative salmon product research.” This is the third year in a row he has appropriated money to research salmon products.
More at TPMmuckraker.
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001440.php
and at
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4137637.html
– Scott Keyes
And the guilty party is.. Conservative curmudugeon Senator TED STEVENS of Alaska, the imperious right-winger who feels that he is lord and master, not only of the state of Alaska, but the ENTIRE Senate budget process of the United States of America as well.
Senator Stevens, WELCOME TO DEMOCRACY, American style!
WE THE PEOPLE are YOUR boss, NOT the other way around!
We here at C-dems.blgspt.com are DELIGHTED that Righties are joining the fight to MAKE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE to voters... in this case, against the Right-Wing Republican-dominated government which can not only issue a SECRET veto on behalf of a single senator, but in the case of Katrina reconstruction contracts, Iraq reconstruction contracts, Iraq war contracts, and dozens of other cases of federal spending, that government provides NO OVERSIGHT or ACCOUNTABILITY whatsoever.
And since the concept of GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY to voters is what we call "liberal democracy," which in turn is a development of the rationalism and intellectual curiousity of THE AGE OF ENLIGHTMENT (which in turn followed the reforms of the Renaissance and Reformation), HOLDING GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE is not only a "liberal' concept, BUT SOMETHING for liberals AND conservatives TO BE PROUD OF.
Caught Red-Handed: Stevens Blocked Creation of Federal Spending Database
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/08/30/stevens-caught/
Last week, an “unidentified senator” placed a hold on legislation introduced by Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) that would create a easily-accessible Google-like database of all federal spending, which totaled $2.5 trillion last year.
The bill appeared to be headed for passage after being approved unanimously in committee. However, the anonymous senator’s hold on the bill prevented it from coming to a vote.
In response, liberals and conservatives worked together to ask every Senate office whether they had placed a hold on the bill. Of all 100 senators, only Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) would not deny placing the hold. In addition, one of the bill’s leading sponsors, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), said of Stevens, “he’s the only senator blocking it.” Stevens’s opposition to such a bill is not surprising; he is one of the most prolific earmarkers in the Senate:
– In 2005, Stevens helped slip in legislation to begin construction on the “Bridge to Nowhere,” earmarking over $200 million for a bridge to an island home to 50 people. When an amendment jeopardized funding for the project, Stevens threatened to resign.
– Later that year, Stevens tried to insert an amendment into the national defense bill allowing oil drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. When the Senate struck the provision, Stevens called it “the saddest day of my life” and has “written off” Senate friends who opposed drilling.
– This year, Stevens earmarked $450,000 to research baby food made from salmon and over $1 million for “alternative salmon product research.” This is the third year in a row he has appropriated money to research salmon products.
More at TPMmuckraker.
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001440.php
and at
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4137637.html
– Scott Keyes
posted by verifi at 11:51 AM
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