The mystery senator who was holding up a porkbusting bill has been identified. This is a great moment for the blogosphere. Here’s the inside the beltway pub Hotline, via Instapundit,
(Ted) Stevens’ admission “offered a glimpse into the increasing role that online pundits play in U.S. policymaking.” It came a day after Senate Maj. Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) “posted a Web entry asking colleagues to cooperate with bloggers who were trying to identify who was using the legislative maneuver to stall a vote.”
Yes, that is the same Ted Stevens that wanted to build a $233 million bridge to nowhere. So who besides Republican Sen. Ted Stevens have entered the Porkbusters Hall of Shame? Click here to find out.
Congratulations to all the bloggers who organized this effort and helped identify the mystery senators.
UPDATE: Chicago Tribune: Busted By Bloggers
When the porkbusters learned about the so-called “secret hold,” they issued a call for bloggers to contact their own senators and demand to know: Are you the anonymous blocker? Readers at TPMmuckraker.com and GOPprogress.com joined in, and within days they had denials from 97 senators.
That’s when Stevens decided to `fess up. The bloggers still weren’t satisfied.
By Thursday, Byrd was the only senator who continued to duck the question. Noting that Byrd’s “penchant for pork would probably win him the Pork Crown if he weren’t saddled with minority status,” TPMmuckraker pressed for an answer. By midafternoon, Byrd had admitted he placed a hold on the bill–and said he has now released it.
When they were caught, Stevens and Byrd offered lots of blather about why they were preventing taxpayers from finding out how their money is spent….
…It’s a good day for taxpayers and the bloggers who got to the truth. And a bad day for secrecy in the U.S. Senate.