Top this for vile, corrupt politics: Any United States senator can anonymously block any legislation.
Just ask the Senate’s Republican majority leader, Bill Frist (R-Tenn.).
Frist had to enlist help from bloggers to find the solon responsible for stalling a wildly popular nonpartisan anti-pork bill.
The legislation would create a public database tracking federal contracts, loans and grants, allowing taxpayers to see how federal monies are spent—or misspent.
Turns out the culprit is Sen. Pork himself: Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), sponsor of the earmarked $231-million “bridge to nowhere.”
The span--almost as long as the Golden Gate—would link the 8,900-resident town of Ketchikan to 50 residents on Gravina Island, now served by a ferry featuring a 15-minute ride for $6.
Sen. Stevens, first elected in 1966, says he placed a hold on the bill because of its potential cost: $15 million.
That gives new meaning to the phrase, penny-wise and pound-foolish. (10 SEPTEMBER 2006)
