Misblog

Another anonymous senator, cum secret dictator, has used that time honored democratic process known as the "secret senate hold" to stop the Open Government Act (S. 849)¹.

It is ironic that the anonymous senator's secret hold is preventing a vote on and passage of bipartisan legislation making our government less secret and more open.

The public has fun unmasking the anonymous senator. When the anonymous senator is publicly unmasked (as they always are) the secret hold usually disappears, immediately.

You can help unmask the anonymous senator by checking this list to see if your senator has reported that they ARE NOT the secret hold senator. Then, if your senator has not yet reported call them and ask if they are the secret hold senator on the Open Government Act (S. 849) - report your results here.

Most senators will immediately tell you whether they are the secret hold senator. Occasionally senators conspire with one another (yes, it's true!) to make the process more difficult.

Don't worry if your senator's staff stonewalls - somewhere around the 300th - 500th call even the most stubborn of senators will report or anonymously leak that they are not the secret holding senator (particularly if they are your senator).

It's actually a very childish process which of course makes it a blast for adults to engage in! There is an online market where individuals purchase, using play money, stock in the time of secret senator unmasking - guess the adults don't want it to be too childish?

Link to Misblog's Another Secret Senate Hold

Blogosphere: UPDATED 05/31/2007 And we have a winner! Er, Loser!

The "Secret Senator" has been identified confessed. Jon Kyl a republican senator from Arizona needed more time to negotiate his concerns, in secret, with the Department of Justice! Lame Kyl, very, very lame!

And who will be our next dictatorial senator to play "Authoritarian Secrecy in Democratic America" - step right up!

-----notes-----

1. Thanks to the folks at Open The Government Dot Org who have worked tirelessly to ensure an open government in general and passage of S. 849 in particular.

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