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Telecom Immunity Showdown

Dec 17, 2007

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Senator Chris Dodd plans to begin a filibuster today. He will try to stop the Senate from granting retroactive immunity to telecoms that violated their customers’ privacy rights by sending billions of private domestic internet and telephone communications to the NSA. The vote on the bill that would grant immunity is scheduled for today. You can help out by contacting your senators to let them know what you think.

Meanwhile, righties are hollering about fascism because a senior fellow emeritus at the Policy Studies Institute believes carbon rationing must be imposed to save the planet. Wholesale violation of the Fourth Amendment by Big Government and Big Corporation, however, is no big deal.

Spotlight

7 Comments

James • Dec 17, 2007 @10:42 am

Conceiving of greenhouse gases as a Public Health issue, or a public emergency, or a pandemic, and suggesting appropriate government-mandated measures is a example of “Liberal Fascism”? Typhoid Mary is likely laughing in her grave at that comment.

Mr Steyn must never have heard of the idea of “market failure”.
grannyeagle • Dec 17, 2007 @12:18 pm

I have sent my message to my senators.
My telephone company, Qwest, actually refused to cooperate with the government’s request because they knew it was illegal. If they knew, the others knew.
I just can’t understand what the Democrats are thinking to allow immunity. Maybe it’s all about the election or not wanting to piss off somebody or other. But who? Bush? Constituents? Corporations? I want to throw them all out. They are not working for me.
joanr16 • Dec 17, 2007 @1:10 pm

grannyeagle, I suspect some Dems are dancing with them what brung ‘em. Just a guess.
Swami • Dec 17, 2007 @1:23 pm

They’ll get their immunity..after all, accountability with this Congress is just a quaint concept lingering from the past. Laws are meant to be broken, right?
I guess I’m sounding a little like Diogenes the Cynic, but my faith in the members of Congress to stand with decency and honor do the right thing is shattered. They’re a bunch of spineless ass kissin’ cretins.
Doug Hughes • Dec 17, 2007 @6:54 pm

Swami - A politician is to a statesman what a lizzard is to a dinasaur. We got too many lizzards in congress - and the campaign contributions will be interesting.

Just a thought - can the money that the telecoms have been paid for selling out their customers be obtained under freedom of information? That - coupled witht he payoff from the telecoms to the lizzards from congress for the amnesty might make for interesting advertising in a congressional primary.

“If the telecoms were not party to illigal spying, why did they pay your Senator/Congressment for a get-out-of-jail-free clause in the FISA bill of 2007?”
Bonnie • Dec 17, 2007 @8:48 pm

Maybe the Dems are suffering from Stockholm Syndrone.
biggerbox • Dec 18, 2007 @12:27 am

Thank goodness, they aren’t all Swami’s “spineless ass kissin’ cretins.” Dodd’s determination, backed by Kennedy and Feingold, convinced Reid he couldn’t get away with passing this bill before recess. The fight will resume in January, but it’s some kind of victory today.