Suitably Flip

Hold the Phone - Another Secret Holder Lurks!

Suitably Flip has received a tip that another Senator, in addition to Ted Stevens, has a hold on S2590.  This is contrary to the apparent resolution of this week's lengthy process of elimination, which seemed to successfully eliminate the 99 non-Stevens Senators, culminating with Stevens' acknowledgment of his identity as the secret holder.

The Capitol Hill source of this information contends that GOP leadership staff has indicated the second holder is a Democrat.

Here are the highlights of a detailed timeline that accompanied this information.

• August 4, 12:33am:  GOP leadership staff states that at least one hold had been placed on the bill and that it will not pass before Congress adjourns for recess.
• August 16, 4:43pm: GOP leadership staff states that Sen. Stevens is the only hold on the Republican side.
• August 29, 6:57pm: GOP leadership staff states that at least one Democratic Senator placed a hold on S.2590.
• August 30, 3:27pm: GOP leadership staff again states that at least one Democratic Senator placed a hold on S.2590.  Because the GOP and Democratic cloakrooms operate independently and operate under different rules, we do not know the identity of the Democratic Senator.  However, if the information given to us by GOP leadership staff is correct, then Sen. Stevens is not the only hold.

In ruminating with Mary Katherine, we cooked up three possibilities to reconcile this information with the 44/44 denials by Democratic Senators' offices.

1. A Democratic Senator (or a member of his or her staff) is lying.
2. A Democratic Senator initiatied a hold very recently, after being pinged by a blogger but before Tuesday at 6:57 pm.
3. One of the denials logged at TPMM or Porkbusters was based on a soft "Not that I know of" denial, which was upgraded to a firm "No" when catalogued.

If you live in a Senatorially blue or purple state, it's time to get back on the phone and not get off until you get a firm answer.  If you get any static, refer them to the Majority Leader's directive for "all members, when asked by the blog community, to instruct their staff to answer whether or not they have a hold, honestly and transparently, so I can pass this bill."

I'll be ringing Chuck and Hillary in the morning.

Very tantalizing indeed.  Stay tuned for updates.

Update: According to Redstate, Byrd is the word.  TPM Muckraker has also heard about the Byrd.

During the exciting eliminat-o-rama earlier in the week, it was a Porkbusters reader named Angie who reported that "Senator Robert Byrd's office confirms that he is not the senator who placed the secret hold."

Angie.  Aaaaangie.  You can't say we're satisfied...

Previously:
The Silent Triumverate
Secret Holder Being Sniffed Out

Comments

Hold the Phone - Another Secret Holder Lurks!

Suitably Flip has received a tip that another Senator, in addition to Ted Stevens, has a hold on S2590.  This is contrary to the apparent resolution of this week's lengthy process of elimination, which seemed to successfully eliminate the 99 non-Stevens Senators, culminating with Stevens' acknowledgment of his identity as the secret holder.

The Capitol Hill source of this information contends that GOP leadership staff has indicated the second holder is a Democrat.

Here are the highlights of a detailed timeline that accompanied this information.

• August 4, 12:33am:  GOP leadership staff states that at least one hold had been placed on the bill and that it will not pass before Congress adjourns for recess.
• August 16, 4:43pm: GOP leadership staff states that Sen. Stevens is the only hold on the Republican side.
• August 29, 6:57pm: GOP leadership staff states that at least one Democratic Senator placed a hold on S.2590.
• August 30, 3:27pm: GOP leadership staff again states that at least one Democratic Senator placed a hold on S.2590.  Because the GOP and Democratic cloakrooms operate independently and operate under different rules, we do not know the identity of the Democratic Senator.  However, if the information given to us by GOP leadership staff is correct, then Sen. Stevens is not the only hold.

In ruminating with Mary Katherine, we cooked up three possibilities to reconcile this information with the 44/44 denials by Democratic Senators' offices.

1. A Democratic Senator (or a member of his or her staff) is lying.
2. A Democratic Senator initiatied a hold very recently, after being pinged by a blogger but before Tuesday at 6:57 pm.
3. One of the denials logged at TPMM or Porkbusters was based on a soft "Not that I know of" denial, which was upgraded to a firm "No" when catalogued.

If you live in a Senatorially blue or purple state, it's time to get back on the phone and not get off until you get a firm answer.  If you get any static, refer them to the Majority Leader's directive for "all members, when asked by the blog community, to instruct their staff to answer whether or not they have a hold, honestly and transparently, so I can pass this bill."

I'll be ringing Chuck and Hillary in the morning.

Very tantalizing indeed.  Stay tuned for updates.

Update: According to Redstate, Byrd is the word.  TPM Muckraker has also heard about the Byrd.

During the exciting eliminat-o-rama earlier in the week, it was a Porkbusters reader named Angie who reported that "Senator Robert Byrd's office confirms that he is not the senator who placed the secret hold."

Angie.  Aaaaangie.  You can't say we're satisfied...

Previously:
The Silent Triumverate
Secret Holder Being Sniffed Out