What is he hiding?

	You know the joke about how the government paid $640 for a toilet seat? It's true. So a bipartisan group of Senators introduced the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 -- a bill that would create a public, searchable database of all federal grants and contracts. Letting the public and the press see where the money goes would be a huge step towards eliminating ridiculous, wasteful spending. A Google-like web site to find out where your tax dollars go -- seems like a no-brainer, right? Think again. A Republican Senator famous for pork barrel spending placed a "secret hold" that's preventing the proposal from even getting a vote. The mystery Senator has revealed himself -- it's none other than Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, who became famous for trying to waste taxpayer dollars to build a "bridge to nowhere". It's time to ratchet up the pressure and get this bill on the Congressional agenda. Tell Ted Stevens to give this important open government measure a fair up or down vote: http://www.democrats.org/publicaccountability Under the Bush administration, fraud, corruption and abuse are worse than ever. In fact, their chief procurement officer -- the guy who spends the money Congress authorizes -- was arrested and charged with being part of the web of Republican corruption surrounding disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Under Bush and the Republican Congress, the number of contracts awarded without competitive bidding has skyrocketed, as Democrat Henry Waxman on the House Government Reform Committee has documented. There are likely thousands of examples even more ridiculous than a toilet seat out there -- money wasted, stolen or misspent under this administration. There's only one way to find out for sure, and that's by publicly accounting for which companies are getting your federal tax dollars. Send your message demanding a vote on the bill now: http://www.democrats.org/publicaccountability Ted Stevens, the most senior Republican in the Senate, don't want you to see the wasteful mess that he and his party have made of the federal budget. From Iraq to our own Gulf Coast, dollars that could be saving lives are being held up, misspent, or wasted. Troops don't have the body armor they need, small businesses in New Orleans haven't received support, and across the country 45 million people go without health insurance. We've seen the damage that Republican secrets and lies can do to our country, and enough is enough. Tell Republican Ted Stevens that you demand accountability from the people who spend your money: http://www.democrats.org/publicaccountability The corruption and right-wing ideology of Republican rule has created a double nightmare for taxpayers. Republicans have created the most expensive government in history through their corruption and out-of-control spending, but at the same time they've either refused or failed to meet the challenges of governing, like adequately preparing for disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Democrats offer a new direction. We'll cut waste, root out corruption, and reprioritize federal spending so that it works for the people -- and we'll do it responsibly. Remember -- only one president has balanced the budget in the last 45 years, and he was a Democrat. One lesson learned over the last six years should be clear beyond any doubt: You cannot trust Republicans with your money. By pressuring the Republicans to give this accountability measure an up or down vote, you can make this election about the open government and fiscal responsibility Americans deserve. Thank you. Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
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