Deadline For Data.gov Arrives, and Delivers

inKubus writes "According to a story carried by AP, as part of President Barack Obama's 'Open Government Directive,' the 24 major departments and agencies that make up the executive branch of the federal government had until Friday to release at least three 'high-value' data sets. Over 300 new data sets have been released on data.gov. There's a lot of interesting stuff on there and more to come." One of the departments required to release data is the office of the US Trade Representative. Wouldn't it be nice if they posted the ACTA negotiating drafts?

Comments

Re:Wouldn't it be nice if they posted the ACTA neg

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Note that this is not meant to imply that the Republicans don't take bribes. Though I don't recall a case where a Republican majority leader had to bribe his own guys to get them to vote for the Party's bill.

Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just that I've never heard of it.

I'd say your hearing is selective, to say the least.

These so-called bribes are in fact better described as pork. I haven't heard of anyone buying the senator from Nebraska a new BMW. Instead, Nebraska gets exempted form certain Medicaid costs. The senator from Vermont isn't getting breast implants for his mistress, he's getting $10 billion in federal funds to build health clinics. (Cue the Republicans: "They're buying him off with money for abortions!!!!11") Montana, Utah, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming are getting higher Medicaid payments because of their dispersed populations. Notice how these "bribes" all curiously have something to do with ... dare I say it ... healthcare reform.

Representatives want something for their home states in exchange for going along with a difficult vote. This happens every day. As it turns out, it is the residents of Wyoming who vote for senators in Wyoming. No one should be surprised when those senators then look out for the interests of their home state before that of the President. No one, that is, except the Republicans -- who, whenever it's expedient, forget all their huffing and puffing about states' rights and the evils of a big government and choose instead to compare states exerting their rights to "bribery."

At least the Democratic senators are getting "bribes" that have something to do with the issue on the floor. What did Republican hero Ted Stevens of Alaska ask for the last time someone wanted his vote?