Key Republican Senator, Kit Bond, wants to expand spying authority & grant immunity to telecoms

[L. Coyote]

Senator wants to expand spying authority
By PAMELA HESS, Associated Press Writer Mon Sep 10,
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070910/ap_on_go_co/terrorist_surveillance

WASHINGTON - A key Republican senator is trying to expand the federal government's electronic surveillance authority just as congressional Democrats are looking for ways to curtail those powers.
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Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., said Monday he wants Congress to grant immunity to telecommunications companies that cooperated with the government's warrantless wiretapping program prior to January 2007.

"I strongly believe that retroactive immunity is critical to adopt in order to ensure the government can get assistance from (telecommunications) carriers," Bond, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told an audience of attorneys, intelligence officials and civil liberties groups.

.........

Bond ... wants to expand the law to allow monitoring of all types of foreign communications, and shorten the application process for warrants to eavesdrop on suspect American telephone conversations and e-mails by requiring less detail and expanding the list of federal officials who can approve warrant applications. .............

[villager]

1. One assumes the Democratic "opposition" is rushing to go along with this "temporary" expansion....

...of powers?

[OwnedByFerrets]

2. Grow a spine you

weak *ush ass-kissing bastard. WE WONT BE SCARED ANY MORE!!! FEAR WILL NOT DETERMINE OUR LIVES ANY LONGER!!

[shain from kane]

3. Hey, Kit, the bar is open. n/t

[Neecy]

4. wow

I can't believe Kit Bond was sober enough to actually give a speech. This guy is a dirty old whiskey drunk.

My sister lives in Missouri. I've forwarded this to her so she can write him (again).

[natrat]

5. wtf-if they were serious, and not just crooks, they would allow for judicial/congressional oversite

[MessiahRp]

6. What expansion will finally be enough?

What will it take for these fucking cowards to feel safe? For each of us to live with a barcode, wearing a permanent microphone with an FBI agent living in our houses?

Rp

[L. Coyote]

8. Time for a redux of 1984, set in today's electronic environment

Could be an instant best-seller!

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. I remember when, back in the dark ages, Kit Bond was an up and

coming moderate/progressive Republican who stood out in contrast to the Republican establishment in DC. Popular, charismatic, good looking, some in MO were talking about him being presidential material. Now look at him.

I guess they really straightened him out.