FISA ....Telecom Group Key Player in Immunity Battle

[slipslidingaway]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/013108J.shtml

By Matt Renner
t r u t h o u t | Investigative Report

Thursday 31 January 2008

"A think tank with close ties to the telecommunication industry has been working with a key Democrat in the Senate on a domestic surveillance bill that would provide telecommunications companies with retroactive immunity for possibly violating federal law by spying on American citizens at the behest of the Bush administration...


During the crafting of the Intelligence Committee bill, Bennett met with a frequent contact of his, Clete Johnson, Rockefeller's legislative aide for military and national security issues, to discuss the FISA legislation. At the meeting, Bennett advised Johnson on talking points to help make the case for telecom immunity...

Twelve Democrats broke with their party and joined Republicans by voting against the Senate Judiciary version of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act legislation on Thursday, January 24. The bill would have stripped out the retroactive immunity for telecoms...

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/r...

Out of a total of six "Honorary Senate Chairs" of Third Way, only Sen. Blanch Lincoln (D-Arkansas) voted with the majority of Democrats on the Judiciary bill..."

http://www.thirdway.org/leadership/senate_chairs