Deal Close on Wiretap Law, a Top Democrat Tells CNN

[spanone]

'because if we're going to give them blanket immunity......' sounds like damned near a done deal


WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee hinted Sunday that a battle over an expired eavesdropping law might be moving toward a conclusion that gave phone companies the retroactive legal protections long sought by President Bush.

The chairman, Representative Silvestre Reyes, Democrat of Texas, said in an interview on CNN that the committee had been talking to the companies “because if we’re going to give them blanket immunity, we want to know and understand what it is we’re giving immunity for.”

Mr. Reyes did not specify what provisions a House bill might contain. But his use of the words “blanket immunity” suggested that he might be moving toward a Senate bill, backed by Mr. Bush, that would protect phone companies that assisted in a federal program of wiretapping without warrants after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/washington/03fisa.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. what is with this Congress?

Seems to me the Democrats aren't questioning anything Bush wants--oh, excuse me, they are. They are saying, "How high you want us to jump, Massa?"

[atreides1]

8. You give them too much credit

They're not jumping as much as they are either bending over or spending time on their knees.

[Winterblues]

2. Makes one really PROUD to be a Democrat

:shrug: Is anyone at all surprised?

[madokie]

3. so they are going to spoon feed the committee just what they want to hear

sounds like bushco is going to get what they wanted, congress condoned destroying of evidence of illegal wiretaping.

[spanone]

4. so why the song and dance nancy? why didn't you just give junior what he wants in the beginning?

i swear, i'd just rather these assholes give bu$h* what he wants than do these faux fights....

just fucking absurd

[Hydra]

6. So she can pretend to be overseeing Bushco

While in fact, she and others were counting their bribes.

[madokie]

7. exactly.

Maybe I'll wake soon and this will all have been only a bad nightmare.

[Hydra]

5. Front row seats for Congress to sell our rights away!

:puke:

[jtrockville]

9. Is this ONLY for taps that started AFTER 9/11?

I surely hope someone writes that part into the bill. Of course, I'd rather everyone followed the law (or accepted the consequences when they broke it).

[Rex]

10. Well that is nice and all, but what are they going to do to the people

that started wiretapping America months before 9/11? How about when they authorized illegal wiretapping as soon as they entered office? Gonna protect them too? No blanket immunity - that would be like torturing and lying to people and say we don't torture per se. :sarcasm: