Or...So according to the those who (claim to) want immunity for telecoms are saying that those same telecoms, who did not let a silly, little thing like the rule of law stop them from the wiretapping before, will now, in our Hour of Need, unplug their Fight on Terrrr because it'll be illegal?

If the telecoms did nothing wrong, why do they need immunity?

Am I wrong to explain it so simply?

I still think I'm missing something here. I don't understand why the GOP and the Administration would be going to all this trouble and blatant propaganda to get the immunity thing for the telecoms. (Didn't I read somewhere that --I think it was McConnell who said that the immunity thing was even more important than the wiretapping?)

I missed that one by the always informative and insightful ondelette. Much obliged.

(I have not listed to this, yet.)

"David Cole on Protect America Act, Rick Blum on FOIA"

Counterspin (2/22/08-2/28/08)

This week on CounterSpin: The extension of the Protect America Act would have permitted the White House's warrantless wiretapping program and immunized telecommunications firms for cooperating with it. Congress refused, and now the Act’s expiration is being presented as a battle between the White House, which says not extending it leaves the country vulnerable to terrorists, and congressional democrats, who oppose the immunity provision. We'll ask Georgetown Law professor David Cole about the dispute and larger questions raised by secret government wiretapping.

Also on the program, more on what the government is up to and the public’s right to know about it: Open government advocates cheered last year when Congress passed a law to strengthen FOIA - the Freedom of Information Act -- that reporters often use to pry information out of government agencies. You won’t be surprised to know the Bush White House wasn’t keen on the law, but you might be surprised to hear how they set about undermining it. We’ll hear from Rick Blum, coordinator of the Sunshine in Government Initiative.

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3296