Ted Stevens is a dangerous idiot

Why? Do you even need to ask? Well, fine. Consider the latest piece of evidence:

CNN has confirmed that Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has placed a hold on a bill that would require the government to publish online a database of federal spending.

The identity of the so-called "secret senator" who has put the kibosh on the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act has been a source of much speculation in the blogosphere of late.

No longer. Now we know. And it should come as no surprise.

If Stevens has his way, and he often does, there will be no accountability and no transparency. And certainly no good governance. There will be bridges to nowhere, but no bridge to the people, to the sort of open democracy Americans have fought for throughout their history. This is, after all, a senator who, in the words of Steve Benen (linking to Justin Rood), is "a notorious pork-lover". Consider, for more, the damning evidence at Wikipedia.

Ted Stevens is clearly an idiot and clearly dangerous.

(Keep following the story at TPM Muckraker.)