Dems cave on American's phone privacy

[babylonsister]

Senate Deal on Immunity for Phone Companies


By ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: October 18, 2007

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 — Leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday with the Bush administration that would give telephone carriers legal immunity for any role they played in the National Security Agency’s domestic eavesdropping program approved by President Bush after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a Congressional official said Wednesday.

Senators this week began reviewing classified documents related to the participation of the telephone carriers in the security agency program and came away from that early review convinced that the companies had “acted in good faith” in cooperating with what they believed was a legal and presidentially authorized program and that they should not be punished through civil litigation for their roles, the official said.

As part of legislation on the security agency’s wiretapping authorities, the White House has been pushing hard for weeks to get immunity for the telecommunications companies in discussions with Senator John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Senator Christopher S. Bond of Missouri, the ranking Republican. A tentative deal was first reported by The Washington Post.

The Intelligence Committee will begin reviewing the legislation at a closed session on Thursday.

The agreement between the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Bush administration would also include a greater role for the secret intelligence court in overseeing and approving methods of wiretapping used by the security agency, the official said.

But it is not clear whether this and other toughened civil liberties safeguards included in the agreement will go far enough to mollify senators on the Senator Judiciary Committee, who will also review the plan once the intelligence panel finishes its work.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/18/washington/18nsa.html

[razors edge]

1. Break out the Victory Gin. n/t

[Javaman]

29. why is the victory gin tasting more and more like bitter fruit? nt

[Botany]

2. Way to stand up for America Sen. Rockefeller

"They" started spying in Feb. 2001 w/ ATT & Verizon is nobody
going to hold these crooks accountable?

[Beelzebud]

10. He's a Rockefeller, he must know what is best for the unwashed masses.

[Botany]

13. I had such hopes for him ..... really I did.

He talked about all the pre war Iraq intel that the bush admin.
had and he was going to release that sometime in the winter
of 2007 (Feb./March) ..... so far nothing.

Any doubts that "they" used this to spy on Kerry in 2004?

Useless fuckers.

[MzNov]

3. Why do they even waste time debating?

The cave-in is inevitable, even with their so-called reviewing and re-writing.

:grr:

A president, with 24 freaking percent approval, continues to get everything he wants, without understanding or courage from people who are supposed to represent the people.

It's still so hard to digest, even after 6 years of the same thing.


:grr:

[Le Taz Hot]

4. . . .

Replace 'em. Replace the whole fucking lot of them!!!!!!

:mad: :wtf: :grr: :argh:

[nightrider767]

5. Can You Say No Backbone?

Outside of kicking stray dogs, honking at old ladies in crosswalks, and knocking down pint bottles of Jim Beam, what's Bush's favorite pastime?

Bitch slapping Democrats around.

Sorry to say it brothers,,,,

[VP505]

6. We keep

hearing how the Dem's make agreements with the White House and the Republics. When do they start making agreements with their constituents and "we the people", you know, the ones that elected them and pay their salary???

[TwilightGardener]

7. That's it--no court will ever rule on the legality (illegality) of this wiretapping shit.

No one will ever get to the bottom of why the program was launched BEFORE Sept. 11--even with that new info, Rockefeller still caved. What a traitorous bastard--I expect this sort of disgusting Chimp ass-licking from Bond, but from Dems, it's doubly disgusting.

[CT_Progressive]

8. Hmm.... "after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks..." Dems pull a fast one?

Hmmmmmmm.

Do the Dems know that the program was created BEFORE the 9/11 attacks?

i.e. did the Dems just pull a fast-one on Bush?

"Yeah, sure, the telcos are immune for the actions AFTER 9/11... yeah, thats the ticket, AFTER 9/11.... sure !!!"
(Muh ha ha ha ha!)

???

[CT_Progressive]

26. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ read ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Beelzebud]

9. Kiss the 4th Amendment goodbye.

[Javaman]

30. we still have a 4th amendment? nt

[Beelzebud]

32. Good point...

[leftchick]

11. what is the point in having a congress?

[Le Taz Hot]

16. The institution is fine.

The current inhabitants suck and don't deserve the offices they hold.

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. What is wrong with these people? The Democrats cave on EVERYTHING and the repukes give on NOTHING!!!

(*&^%$#@!@##$%^&*(())(*&^%$#@@#$$$%^& ENOUGH IS FUCKING ENOUGH!!!! Grow a fucking spine!

[nightrider767]

15. Why Is Everyone Complaining???

You people say you don't like the status quo in Congress, but odds are your candidate of choice is telling you now, to your face, that they will go with the flow.

How can you expect a change from Congress if you all don't have the backbone to make a big change from your own comfort level.

What is Dennis Kucinich not pretty enough for you? Is He not tall enough?

Or is it change you fear most.

How are we better than those in Congress?

[in_cog_ni_to]

22. *AHEM* I beg your pardon? I don't have "a candidate of choice" and you have no clue if I plan to

for Kucinich or not! Please don't lecture me about something you have no clue about, OK?

[nightrider767]

27. No Lecture My Friend

Just some thought provoking discussion. I'm not on a roll to sell Kucinich either. What I am trying to do is speak to the disconnect between Congress and the party base. And also to highlight, that with the current batch of Democratic front runners, we can expect the exact same thing from the white house.

Look at the popularity of Hillary and her progress message. That's a green light for Congress to roll with the punches.

[wtmusic]

14. Disgusting. nt

[Bluebear]

17. "Dems cave on____________" part XXXVIII

[truebrit71]

18. GODDAMMIT!!! When will these spineless bastards stand up for us?

This is fucking bullshit!!!

Every single time these gutless pukes backdown....

FUCK 'EM.

[mvd]

19. Not good, but this isn't over yet

We'll see what the Judiciary Committee does. Since Repukes are resorting to such dirty tricks, we really should threaten to do nothing and let the law expire in February.

[mvd]

20. BTW, it's so obvious why Bush wants immunity

The phone companies get sued. They then implicate Bush, and all kinds of things can come out. Bush's program was clearly illegal; he should not be rewarded!

[Ohio Joe]

24. ummm, wait a minute

Look at the first paragraph again

Leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday with the Bush administration that would give telephone carriers legal immunity for any role they played in the National Security Agency’s domestic eavesdropping program approved by President Bush after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a Congressional official said Wednesday.

Now, I'm no lawyer but would this not mean that the telephone companies could testify without fear of prosicution against who they believed approved the program?

[mvd]

28. With immunity, I'm not sure they'd have a reason to

give us anything. Without immunity, there could possibly be lawsuits.

[Vinca]

21. I swear I'm about ready to give up on this party. nt

[Javaman]

31. I'm on impulse power right now. my last straw comes when they

table additional funds for the war. Once that happens they are dead to me.

[Orsino]

23. Money talks. Congress listens.

The telecoms will always buy allies in Congress.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

25. I sort of agree with this immunity

Ok, civil liberties are vanishing along with the 4th amendment.

But is this the fault of the phone companies? I don't know who should be sent to jail for this, but I'd guess they work in the current administration, not the phone company.

In this problem, the phone company is just a tool.