Oh Those Poor Telecoms

Jay Rockefeller is coming out swinging for those poor, defenseless telecoms:

Sen. Jay Rockefeller finds himself in a dilemma: He’s supporting judicial immunity for telecommunications firms that cooperated in the Bush administration’s efforts to eavesdrop on Americans without obtaining warrants, and he’s taking national criticism for accepting contributions from the firms’ top brass.

Rockefeller, D-W.Va., heads the Senate Intelligence Committee. Legislation from the committee granting the firms’ immunity passed on a 13-2 vote overall, said Wendy Morigi, Rockefeller’s spokeswoman….”The telephone companies were asked to do something,” she said. “They were told it was legal and they complied.”

Right. From the EFF:

As Judge Walker wrote when dismissing AT&T’s immunity claims, “AT&T cannot seriously contend that a reasonable entity in its position could have believed that the alleged domestic dragnet was legal.” Judge Walker also flatly rejected the government’s secrecy argument: “The compromise between liberty and security remains a difficult one. But dismissing this case at the outset would sacrifice liberty for no apparent enhancement of security.”

I won’t use the words “full of shit,” Jay, but I have to say — the optics are just not good on this.

Related posts:

1. Vaughn Walker’s Chess Game: Sue the Telecoms, Part One
2. Report Confirms Poor Electrical Work by KBR Endangers US Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
3. Benedict’s Challenging Words to Congress and the World: Aid the Poor
4. Senate Finance Committee Live Blog, Part 4
5. Baucus Not Even Talking to Rockefeller