Amnesty!

Why should phone companies get amnesty after participating in law breaking? Which part of illegal don't they understand?

Earlier this week, Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut and several allies beat back a bill that would give telephone companies a "Get out of jail free" card for participating in the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program. The bill would give telephone companies immunity from lawsuits for taking part in the Shred the Fourth Amendment program and would allow the executive branch to continue to conduct surveillance on people in America without a warrant.

After Dodd used a legislative procedure known as putting a "hold" on the bill, and returned from campaigning in Iowa to do it, Democratic Leader Harry Reid withdrew the bill until January.

Glenn Greenwald, who is one of the best writers on these Safe & Free issues, has a great breakdown of the drama.

Meanwhile, remember how the warrantless surveillance program was a response to 9/11? Turns out the Bush crowd was doing it before that horrible day. According to the New York Times, the administration approached telephone companies to do surveillance without a warrant in early 2001.

Just another day here in the Twilight Zone....

Andy in Harrisburg