Secret Senator Secret No More

Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaksa) is behind the hold on a bill that would provide transparency for earmarks in Congress, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (S-2590). He's the guy that a whole lot of folks in the blogosphere had fingered as the culprit.

The bill has become a cause célèbre for both liberal and conservative bloggers as they tried to uncover the "secret senator" who had blocked passage of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (S. 2590). The bill was introduced earlier this year by Sens. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and Coburn, R-Oklahoma.

The conservative-leaning, anti-government waste site Porkbusters urged readers to call their senators and ask them to go on the record denying that they placed the hold. TPMmuckraker, under the banner "blogosphere unites in pursuit of masked senator" also got in on the act, posting updates from readers around the country.

The effort prompted Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to weigh in online: Blogging at his political action committee Web site, Sen. Frist, R-Tennessee, called on "all members, when asked by the blog community, to instruct their staff to answer whether or not they have a hold."

Saunders said Stevens did not attempt to keep his hold anonymous.

"Sen. Stevens has a series of concerns and questions about the bill. He wants a cost benefit analysis to make sure it doesn't create an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy and not meet its purpose," Saunders said.

Stevens had the motive. He had the intent. And his spokesperson confirmed it to CNN, although TPMmuckraker and Ed Morrissey had speculated whether Sen. Coburn outed him.

And Stevens, who was never shy about spending taxpayer money, now wants a cost benefit analysis on a bill that would essentially open up the earmark process to public review? Well, don't that beat all.

So, what's the next step. Will this bill be moved out to a vote? Will this bill really make a difference? Earmarks - also known as pork - are a featured and hallowed part of politics in the US. All politics is local, and nothing hammers that point home than a politician who says that they bring home the bacon.

Others blogging: Ed Morrissey, TPMmuckraker, Porkbusters, Decision 08, The Political Pit Bull, Mark Tapscott, GOP Bloggers, Suitably Flip, Hot Air, Mary Katherine Ham, Ace of Spades, and Sister Toldjah.

Technorati: porkbusters, earmarks, accountability, stevens, coburn, obama.