“No more.”

We need more people in Washington to say that. Thank you Senator Dodd.

Thank God for men like Sen. Dodd & Leahy who are willing to stand up and demand accountability rather than political game playing.

…
Citizens Hamsher, oklahomakiddo and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
“I doubt that HRC is much worried about Dodd”

But that’s the point of this, brother kiddo, if Dodd ken use his visibility on the Senate floor to represent the interests of the people on issues like this, the Attorney General nomination, labor legislation and telecommunications in which better’n 60% of the population sides with the progressive position, then he can not only change the terms of the debate in the debates but he can overcome millions in corporate contributions with media attention to his battles on the Senate floor and in committee.

… This is HUGE, brother kiddo, jest HUGE!!
…

Or, it might just encourage some Edwards supporters to switch to Dodd and thereby weaken Edwards, so Clinton can win in a walk.

Don’t underestimate the way the Clinton campaign will try to undermine it’s opposition.

I like what Dodd is doing, but I’m still supporting Edwards. He’s said all the right things and has a great background like none of the other candidates.

puppethead @ 169

Most likely due to AT&T’s massive spy room being in San Francisco, her home base. Gotta help out those lucrative corporate donors, don’t you know.

Hey – from an economic development standpoint, it’s a whole new industry…

Jeez, our whole country is soooo screwed up because of Money and the fact corporations have a bit more than you or I.

Butto’s been home about 24 hours and they are already trying to blow her up…somebody sure likes blowing up things.

Who do we know who likes to blow things up? Hmmm. Oh Yea…Dubya!

I wonder if he personally gave the okay.

Ann in AZ @ 311

But, Praedor, they could just as easily go crying to the Executive branch that got them into it in the first place. Secondly, where does the President get off thinking that he can require another branch of government to give immunity to anyone or any entity for anything, especially something that he himself has contrived. He expects them to comply because they always have, I guess.

Damn I hate coming late to the party. The reason the Telocoms are begging for this is that a Presidential Pardon would actually be WORSE than for them than not getting one in the first place for the shareholders and board members. Only individuals are eligible for pardons so the various people in the corp. offices that made the decision could avoid criminal prosecutions but the telocoms would still be on the hook for civil liabilities from mass torts. Add in the fact that accepting a pardon has been ruled as an acceptance of guilt, would give the companies no real legal defense in a civil trial.

I would also like to know how these immunity provisions square with the prohibitions on expost facto legislation and bills of attainder?

I doubt this bill would be a Bill of Attainder because a Bill of Attainder is basically legislative punishment, which only the judiciary can mete out. I think for the same reasons it cannot be an ex post facto law. But if it is a violation of FISA, perhaps retroactively repealing a claim could be a denial of property without due process of law.

Simple. Bush could simply say “it’s a National Security Issue”.

Ironically, they can be CONVICTED for violating the law, with the National Security issues held in camera (secret hearings so they are not revealed to the public. But if they receive immunity (or I suspect, are pardoned) none of that can be exposed. Unless the acts were illegal and illegitimately classified or never were.

Praedor Atrebates @ 269

Except…the court system has REPEATEDLY concluded that they did NOT act legally and cannot claim the protections already written into law (because their violations were so obviously on the wrong side of previous rulings). The COURTS decide, not Congress. That is the Judiciary’s job under the Constitution.

The Telcos ran crying to Congress because they were getting their asses handed to them in the courts of LAW.

But, Praedor, they could just as easily go crying to the Executive branch that got them into it in the first place. Secondly, where does the President get off thinking that he can require another branch of government to give immunity to anyone or any entity for anything, especially something that he himself has contrived. He expects them to comply because they always have, I guess.

Damn I hate coming late to the party. The reason the Telocoms are begging for this is that a Presidential Pardon would actually be WORSE than for them than not getting one in the first place for the shareholders and board members. Only individuals are eligible for pardons so the various people in the corp. offices that made the decision could avoid criminal prosecutions but the telocoms would still be on the hook for civil liabilities from mass torts. Add in the fact that accepting a pardon has been ruled as an acceptance of guilt, would give the companies no real legal defense in a civil trial.

I would also like to know how these immunity provisions square with the prohibitions on expost facto legislation and bills of attainder?

I’m in for Chris, and thank you Jane Hamsher for calling us to arms.