It's time to dig up "secret holder" no. 2.

The blogosphere is still abuzz following the confirmation that the suspected Sen. Ted Stevens (R.-Alaska) did indeed request that Senate leaders hold back the Coburn-Obama bill (S.2590), which would allow for more transparency in earmarking, now that sources have clarified suspicions that a Democrat has placed a hold on the bill as well.

Suitably Flip has put together a quick timeline, which breaks down major events:

- August 4, 12:33am: GOP leadership staff states that at least one hold had been placed on the bill and that it will not pass before Congress adjourns for recess.

- August 16, 4:43pm: GOP leadership staff states that Sen. Stevens is the only hold on the Republican side.

- August 29, 6:57pm: GOP leadership staff states that at least one Democratic Senator placed a hold on S.2590.

-August 30, 3:27pm: GOP leadership staff again states that at least one Democratic Senator placed a hold on S.2590. Because the GOP and Democratic cloakrooms operate independently and operate under different rules, we do not know the identity of the Democratic Senator. However, if the information given to us by GOP leadership staff is correct, then Sen. Stevens is not the only hold.

He's also come up with some reasons for why all 44 Senate Democrats are recorded as denying responsibility for the hold:

In ruminating with Mary Katherine, we cooked up three possibilities to reconcile this information with the 44/44 denials by Democratic Senators' offices.

1. A Democratic Senator (or a member of his or her staff) is lying.
2. A Democratic Senator initiatied a hold very recently, after being pinged by a blogger but before Tuesday at 6:57 pm.
3. One of the denials logged at TPMM or Porkbusters was based on a soft "Not that I know of" denial, which was upgraded to a firm "No" when catalogued.

So it's time to hound Senate Democrats again. Make sure they give you a real answer. Here's their contact info.