Here's a good test for the inexplicable sheep who still admire the Bush administration: What would you think if the NSA request to have the telecoms start eavesdropping on American citizens came - not as a response to 9/11 - but as soon as President Bush took office? That would mean 9/11 didn't change everything - some of our rights had already been violated shortly after the President took power. Could this be why the President is so concerned that the telecoms be given immunity, not for their sake, but for his? If you're as patriotic as you claim, you'll look into this allegation. Otherwise, switch your pro-Bush button back to the on position. Read it and sleep.

As I understand this, Darlene Hooley was only Oregon rep to vote for this insidious bill.
Good for Wyden, showing some guts is not easy for him.

showing some guts is not easy for him.

Don't sell Ron short. He was one of only a handful of Senators who voted against the original authorization for the use of force in Iraq. He voted against the war authorization against Iran last week. Except for a brief lapse following a brainwashing in Guantanamo, he's been pretty consistently on the right side and (necessarily) in the minority.

Ultimately the Democrats will give Bush most if not everything that he wants in this bill and allow it to be passed. As for looking into any allegations of anything, the Democrats might give it lip service, followed by Bush deciding not to cooperate, and the Democrats dropping the subject. They can't be controversial now. Nothing matters except getting elected in '08.

The Democrats must be counting on a rush of Republicans voting for them because they don't care at all about losing Democratic voters. I've gone from being all charged up about the Democrats' big win in '06 to wanting to see them all fired in '08.

The Democrats must be counting on a rush of Republicans voting for them because they don't care at all about losing Democratic voters. I've gone from being all charged up about the Democrats' big win in '06 to wanting to see them all fired in '08.

Great comment. Me too.

Just last night, we heard there are plans to disregard Senator Dodd's intention to place a hold on a FISA bill that includes amnesty for telecommunications companies.

That would be a pretty extraordinary move, but Chris Dodd has pledged to stop this horrible bill any way he can.

So if the hold is not honored, he is prepared to go to the Senate floor and filibuster.

There's an intersting graphic over at Wired. Seems Sen. Rockefeller is suddenly a popular guy with the telcos...

Go get 'em, Ron. No immunity, please.

It's inspiring how civic-minded all those Verizon and ATT managers are, contributing so generously to a senator from another state (West Virginia, in this particular case).