What a priceless piece of bullshit. No wonder Stevens said

I think that under the circumstance it was the best we could expect because of the publicity that came with the Sunday supplements and whatever

No doubt...because he hasn't given up a penny. The money is now a huge slush fund...pretty much what it always was anyway. 

Funding for Alaskan Bridges Eliminated
Republicans Make Largely Symbolic Move in Reaction to Criticism of Transportation Spending
By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 17, 2005; A18

The "Bridge to Nowhere," a pork-barrel project that has attracted a lot of unfavorable attention, may not be going anywhere for a while.

The $223 million span linking the small town of Ketchikan to sparsely populated Gravina Island and a second Alaskan bridge project have been stripped of their funding by congressional negotiators as they race to wrap up legislative business.

That decision reflects a growing unease among Republicans of criticism of runaway government spending in a transportation bill that includes 6,000-plus special projects for House members' districts. But the maneuver is largely cosmetic and may only slow the bridge projects. As part of the deal, Alaska will get to keep the $454 million that Congress set aside for the two bridges, and technically the state can use the transportation funds for any project it chooses -- including the bridges.