Byrd Unapologetic About 'Secret Hold' on Spending Bill

Arizona Daily Star ^ | 9-1-06 | Cox News Service

[nancyvideo]

WASHINGTON — In a new twist in this week's Capitol Hill whodunnit, Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., acknowledged Thursday that he also placed a "secret hold" on legislation that would open up the hidden world of government contracts to public scrutiny. Byrd and Alaska Republican Ted Stevens, two of the most skilled purveyors of federal funds, used the parliamentary maneuver to stop legislation that would create a searchable database of some $2.5 trillion in federal spending.

[SlowBoat407]

two of the most skilled purveyors of federal funds,

Geez, can you sugar coat it a little more?

[Brilliant]

LOL! Remember all those threads which predicted it would be Byrd?

[wideawake]

A better term might be "Pork Kleagles."

[RebelBanker]

Surprise, surprise, surprise...

[Grampa Dave]

[P-40]

Don't you just love it when the parties work together?

[Coldwater Creek]

Is there any thing left in West Virginia to build with federal dollars or name after "Sheets"?

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Hey K-K-K-K-Byrd. There's also a Voting Rights amendment up for consideration. Maybe you want to put another *secret* hold on that one too. Jest lyke da olde days.

[NittanyLion]

It would seem the only thing both parties agree on is that big government is a good thing.

[Mr. Brightside]

You should know better than to put a story like this in Breaking News.

You just knocked "Sunday Morning Talk Show Thread" out of the top ten "Breaking News" stories of this Friday.

Shame on you.

[TimesDomain]

Vote them ALL out!

New blood every time and none of those scumbags like these will rule over America again!

[Bubba M. Aurelius]

Pork is king in WV and Alaska. What else is new in this world. The Senators serve their own interests and are oblivious to the concerns to the electorate.

Remember the mantra when the cost of this kimchee hits the fan; it is Bush's fault. Both of these doddering fools need to spend their twilight years in Florida; aka God's little waiting room.

[Puddleglum]

Spend-happy hosers. Stevens should be ashamed - hah! I think he has none.

On the other hand, hats off to Sen. Coburn of Oklahoma. He is my kind of conservative.

[TomGuy]

Further proof that here isn't enough difference between most Dems and Pubbies to shake a stick at.

They work more in cahoots than we care to admit.

[nancyvideo]

Unfortunately, you're right.
These days, there are three political parties: Democats, Republicans and Conservatives

[RippyO]

Despite lifting the hold, Byrd still wants the bill to be "debated and opened for amendment, and not pushed through without discussion," he said.

The mind boggles. I wonder what kind of amendments would be proposed for this bill. "Yes, I would like to amend the bill so that this website only be available to those on dial-up. We....uhh....don't want the server to get bogged down by all the broadbanders out there. Not enough tubes."

[reagan_fanatic]

[Zack Nguyen]

Everyone should understand that a "hold" means nothing. In fact the hold doesn't exist in the Senate rules. It is simply an understanding between Senators that once a "hold" is put on a bill, it doesn't move. It is part of the country-club, hail-fellow-well-met world of Senators, where I suppose principle matters less than than making sure all the ol' boys stay cordial.

As I understand it, "holds" have been defied before. Exactly why the Republican leadership failed to defy Senator Byrd's hold I don't know.

[markoman]

"secret hold"?

Yup....double secret hold.

[CT-Freeper]

Exactly why the Republican leadership failed to defy Senator Byrd's hold I don't know.

Because a Republican also had a hold on it, so it was mutually agreeable?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

No mystery to it. The GOP has no leadership. They wouldn't take sides in a marbles shoot-off.

[quantim]

This is a perfect example of why no senator from either party should ever get close to the WH, what a terrible precendent that would be.

[MinnesotaLibertarian]

I predicted Stevens or Byrd. Looks like I was right on both counts.

[P-40]

The GOP has no leadership.

This would be a good time for some GOP presidential hopefuls to step forward and take this call for action off hold.

[jch10]

Yikes! We are full of these types....no room for more!!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Don't count Wimp Frist among em.

[sportutegrl]

A bipartisan hold.

[JOE6PAK]

Double Secret Hold!

[ZGuy]

So why can't the conservatives (or liberals) just adopt this as a routine strategy and put secret holds on all legislation they don't like that the opposition proposes?

[khnyny]

Lol, that's funny. Byrd is certainly a piece of work.

[Bushiefan]

You are really behind times. Now,we name everything in West Virginia "the ALan Mollohan" building, highway, school, etc.

[Coldwater Creek]

Thanks for catching me up. I won't make that mistake again.

LOL!

[nancyvideo]

So why can't the conservatives (or liberals) just adopt this as a routine strategy and put secret holds on all legislation they don't like that the opposition proposes?



Just because the left engages in secret, slimy behaviour
doesn't mean it's acceptable. I like to think onservatives act from principle instead of the 'win at all cost' behaviour of the left.