More on Bush’s Unwarranted Wiretapping Fiasco
AT&T: Your world. Delivered. To the NSA.
Originally uploaded by lawgeek
Bush says would veto House eavesdropping bill – Yahoo! News
Bush said the litigation against the phone companies was “unfair” because they had been assured by the U.S. government that their cooperation was “legal and necessary” to fighting terrorism after the September 11 attacks.”Companies that may have helped us save lives should be thanked for their patriotic service, not subjected to billion dollar lawsuits that will make them less willing to help in the future,” Bush said.
Oh, I disagree. As does the EFF and anyone with any sense. Read this analysis by Salon.com blogger Glen Greenwald about the Democrats in Congress finally finding the sack with their brains and balls in it. (bolding his)
It’s critical to emphasize …that the telecoms already have immunity under existing statutes, even if they broke the law, as long as they obtained from the Attorney General certifications that the warrantless surveillance requests were legal. If the telecoms really did obtain those certifications — and it’s extremely unlikely that they did — then all they ever had to do was just show them to the court and they would be immune. Their excuse up until now — “we can’t use the documents we have to defend ourselves because we aren’t allowed to show them to the judge” — is now completely eliminated by the House bill.
Edit: They actually DID it! They rejected telecom immunity. Now let’s see Bush put America in danger himself by his refusal to pass it.
Filed under: corporate malfeasance, hail to the thief, political, political malfeasance | Comment (1)One Response to “More on Bush’s Unwarranted Wiretapping Fiasco”
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That right there has GOT to be the worst excuse for anything since “the dog ate my homework.” I mean seriously, “I’m sorry, your honor, but I am unable to legally comply with your request.” WTF??? Like a judge would ask them to do something they weren’t allowed to do?? Hoo-boy.
Bush puts us in danger every day he’s in office.