This is just obscene.

[kpete]

Why Does AT&T Need Protection?
by mcjoan
Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 11:45:53 AM PDT

Oh, yeah, because the greedy trial lawyers want to bankrupt them. Well, so much for that theory.

This is just obscene.
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/06/spying-telecoms-receive-billions

The telecoms who are being sued for their cooperation in the government's illegal warrantless surveillance program have received billions in government contracts. According to Washington Technology magazine, Verizon received $1.3 billion, Sprint $839 million and AT&T $505 million in federal prime contract revenue for fiscal 2007, for a total of $2.6 billion. While the companies have been government contractors for a long time, it still represents a significant increase in revenue.

Telecom apologists like to suggest that the communications companies' motivation was not financial. As Judge Walker noted when examining EFF's allegations of dragnet surveillance: "AT&T cannot seriously contend that a reasonable entity in its position could have believed that the alleged domestic dragnet was legal." Yet, the prospect of $2.6 billion per year can go a long way to explaining why an industry might cooperate with a program far outside the limitations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), despite the difficulty of believing it was legal.

And they spied on Americans illegally because they are just so darned patriotic, they couldn't resist. Right

more at:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/5/14452/03770/268/529607

[DarkTirade]

1. I'm thinking about breaking down and getting a cel phone... is there any decent company that DOESN'T

profit from this shit that I could use?

[succubus.blues]

3. I thought those "go phones" don't get tracked.

Single use, but then I think you can refill them for a certain amount of minutes.

[DarkTirade]

10. I think I'll need something more permanent.

Thanks anyway though. :)

[Growler]

7. I just switched from AT&T to a T-Mobile FlexPay account

...largely because of AT&T's shit. I haven't heard anything like this about T-Mobile, but you never know....

[DarkTirade]

9. There's a T-Mobile place at my local mall

I'll check 'em out. :)

[robinlynne]

12. yes. check out credo mobile. It uses Sprint technology, but 10% goes to

a progressive group of your choice, including democracy for america and others. started by the ben and jerry people.

[Hissyspit]

14. Credo "Working Assets"

[FloridaJudy]

15. I have CREDO

From Working Assets. They donate a lot of the proceeds to Progressive causes. So far the charges are quite reasonable, compared to other cell phone providers, and the service has been exceptional.

http://www.credomobile.com/index.cfm?event=beginShopping&shoppingPath=shopByPlan&entrycode=400401&KNC-GGL&ATT=GooDef

[ColbertWatcher]

2. I believe one of McCain's lobbyist-friends works for the Telecoms. n/t

[KSinTX]

4. ONE!!!!!!

What is the collective noun for lobbyist? A band? A gaggle? An army? A gaggle? A litter?

[anigbrowl]

5. An infestation of lobbyists?

[The River]

8. It's a "Cesspool" of Lobbiyists

Whenever they appear...sh*t happens.

[ColbertWatcher]

11. Okay, okay, Admiral McCombover knows a murder of lobbyists. n/t

[Rosemary2205]

6. Turns out Grandpa is eyeball deep in lobbyists.

[VP505]

13. Read on C&L this morning where

House Intelligence Committee Chair "Sylivertre Reyes Indicates He Is Now Fine With GOP Telecom/FISA Bill." Looks like capitulation BIG TIME on his part.http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/06/04/silvestre-reyes-indicates-he-is-now-fine-with-gop-telecomfisa-bill/