Pork barrel spending has been much in the forefront lately. There is a bill in the Senate to create a searchable database of federal contracts, grant, or other awards of $25,000 or more.

However there is an anonymous Senator who has put a "hold" on a final vote. A hold is an informal Senate practice that permits any senator to delay a final vote simply by informing the majority leader of his or her desire to do so. This originally was done only with nominees to allow a senator gather more information to help in deciding how to vote. In recent years it also being used to block legislation.

This isn't sitting well with the blogosphere. Many are writing their Senators and asking if they are the one blocking the bill. Paul Kiel at TMPmuckraker has a running tally of Senators who have indicated that they are not the one using the "hold." Presently as I write this the 86 Senators claim that they are NOT the secret holder.

H/T Dean Esmay who wonders if it's his Senators who hold the hold... I repeat myself.