Hunt for a killer

A United States Senator who lacks the guts to stand up for his or her position has blocked a bill in Congress that would protect government whistleblowers, WYNC’s On The Media has reported.

In an earlier OTM piece, Tom Devine of the Government Accountability Project explained how dedicated civil servants who risk their careers to do the right thing for taxpayers are often persecuted under current law.

And he noted that this state of affairs is Wikileaks’ best friend, since it leaves the conscientious with no alternative but anonymous leaks.

Brook Gladstone reported that new Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act passed the House of Representatives in December, but was stymied in the Senate when a “secret hold” was placed on the bill, which meant that it died with the end of the legislative session.

But there’s a chance that the secret killer of the bill may be exposed.

On the Media has asked its listeners to contact their senators and ask if they put the secret hold on the whistleblower bill, and report what they learn.

The results are being posted at this website. As of 7 o’clock Tuesday, staff of ten senators were reported to have said they didn’t put the hold on the bill. That leaves forty suspects. The net is closing.

And by the way, is it not an unconscionable affront to democracy that any Senator can affect the course of legislation anonymously?

In Philadelphia City Council nobody can propose, halt or amend legislation without doing so publicly and leaving a paper trail. I long for the day when the U.S. Congress is as transparent as our City Council. Sheesh.