Bloggers 1, Smoke-Filled Room 0

MarkusQ writes "A few days ago a bi-partisan bill (PDF) to create a searchable on-line database of government contracts, grants, insurance, loans, financial assistance, earmarks and other such pork was put on 'secret hold' using a procedure that does not appear to be mentioned in the Constitution or in the Senate bylaws. This raised the ire of bloggers left and right and started an all out bi-partisan effort to expose the culprit by process of elimination. As it turns out it was our old friend the right honorable Senator from Alaska, Mr. 'Series of Tubes', Ted 'Bridge to Nowhere' Stevens."

It had to be put on hold...

[cmburns69]

Mr. Stevens put the bill on hold while waiting for the Internet sent by his staff member.

I believe he'll still be waiting when hell freezes over.

Bravo!!

[$RANDOMLUSER]

I say we put Senator Stevens on double-secret probation.

Re:Scoreboard is a Little Off

[Oriumpor]

It's hard to keep an accurate count, the variable keeps overflowing.

Re:Ackthpt's Theorem

[Dan Slotman]

We can expect a lot of red faces when same bi-partisan muck-rakers get their hands on the online database

After the 2004 election, I have great faith in the voters' ability to ignore incompetence and corruption.

Re:smoke filled room?

[ArmyOfFun]

The smoke is not from cigarettes, I know because I toured the Capitol Building. The smoke is actually from the candles light the place. The candles produce a lot of smoke because instead of being composed primarily of wax they're made of torn pieces of the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.

Re:Scoreboard is a Little Off

[Nematode]

Just to illustrate a little further where Sen. Stevens' priorities (and shame) lie, remember that this is the man who said, when the Senate voted NOT to allow drilling in ANWR earlier this year, that it was the "saddest day of his life." Remember also that his wife died in a plane crash in 1978.

Now, maybe his wife was a very nasty person, but when an 83-year old man thinks that the saddest day of his life is not getting Exxon into a wildlife preserve....

Re:No Shit, Sherlock?

[XorNand]

Damnit. And that was at the top of my Netflix queue.

Here's the actual quote

[ad0gg]

The internet is not something you just dump a bunch of goverment records on for everyone to search through. It's not a truck. Its a series of tubes.

- Senator Stevens

Re:Scoreboard is a Little Off

[Anonymous Coward]

You've never been married, have you?

Be afraid, he's trying to get allies in WA state

[WillAffleckUW]

The Senator from Alaska is the primary funding assistance for the GOP candidate for the US Senate in WA State, too.

They're trying to sneak under the radar and pretend they're moderate, but they're not.

Secret Hold not in the Constitution

[NiteShaed]

put on 'secret hold' using a procedure that does not appear to be mentioned in the Constitution

Actually, it is, but it's a secret. It's printed on the back, in invisible ink, next to the map....

Re:Wha???

[Archangel Michael]

"Its a quid pro quo type of "good old boy" agreement among those in the majority parties."

There, I fixed your spelling mistake.

Re:Ackthpt's Theorem

[ehrichweiss]

Power corrupts...

Absolute power is kinda neat.

For Ya'all Who Don't Know Ted Stevens

[Greyfox]

Linky [google.com]

oh oh, now it's going to be put on

[geekoid]

double secret hold.

Re:America - Best government money can buy (tm)

[Anonymous Coward]

Remember the government serves the people, not vice versa.

Ha Ha! Mod Parent +5 Funny!

That is actually a great idea, but it doesn't seem to work that way. You don't live here, do you?

0 to 1????

[dangitman]

I think that the author of this story's title may be somewhat ignorant of the real world. The "smoke filled room" contains people in power, who most of the time get anything they want, and can get away with crimes, murder, extortion - at the same time as having women throw themselves at their feet, and countless people to do their bidding, while swimming in pools of champagne.

On the other hand, you have bloggers. The name alone says enough about their power, prestige and effectiveness.

I'd say the scores are more like: Bloggers 1, Smoke-filled room 9,000,000,000.