So the Republicans came clean and finally identified the guy responsible for inserting the provision into the appropriations bill which said that the House and Senate Appropriations Committee chairmen could designate anyone to look at anybody's tax return. 

Rich Efford, Clerk for the Subcommittee on Transportation and Treasury, and Independent Agencies of the House Appropriations Committee, is telling the WaPo that it's all an honest mistake, however.

Hmph.  I'm not sure I believe that.

Does this mean that Congressman Istook lied when he said none of his staffers were responsible?  (He did change his story from day to day, after all.)  And that Bill Frist spread that lie?  And that Istook's deputy chief of staff lied when she told CNN that the language was added at the full committee level?

What's Istook's response to his staffer's action?

More importantly, Sen. Frist said that "accountability will be carried out."  Will he make sure that Efford is fired?