As TPMmuckraker's Zack can attest, the oversight vaccuum for the $700 billion financial bailout has generated a mountain of unanswered questions for journalists and voters. Thankfully, Democrats are setting the bar a lot higher -- hell, they're actually setting a bar -- for the $825 billion stimulus bill they hope to pass next month.

Overseeing the economic recovery spending, House Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey (D-WI) said today, will be a seven-person board composed of assistant secretaries and inspectors general of various agencies. Obey described the board's mission as "early warning of funding management problems" as the bill is implemented in states and towns across the country.

Contracts and data on where the stimulusmoney is heading will be posted online (the hypothetical URL "recovery.gov" was mentioned). But the best part of all: Any member of the public who has concerns with a particular element of the spending disbursement can post their questions for the oversight board to investigate.

When can all this wonderful citizen muckraking get started? Well, Obey said Democrats are aiming to mark up the stimulus (that is, add amendments and debate it in committees) next week, followed by floor consideration by the end of the month.

That leaves only the first two weeks in February for the Senate to finish the plan, and iron out differences with the House, before a final vote around Presidents' Day. If that doesn't happen, no vacation for Congress. Good luck, guys.