Phone Companies Seeking Immunity Gave Money To Key Senator

The New York Times:

Executives at the two biggest phone companies contributed more than $42,000 in political donations to Senator John D. Rockefeller IV this year while seeking his support for legal immunity for businesses participating in National Security Agency eavesdropping.

The surge in contributions came from a Who's Who of executives at the companies, AT&T and Verizon, starting with the chief executives and including at least 50 executives and lawyers at the two utilities, according to campaign finance reports.

Read the whole story: The New York Times

Comments

[xargaw]

I have always liked Rockefellar and thought he did a good job in an untenable position when Pat Roberts was Chairman, but, this stinks to high heaven and makes him appear corrupt. Toss him out with the rest of them.

[drkazmd65]

You 'think' it makes him 'appear corrupt'?

You have a flair for understatement there xargaw.

He appears corrupt, because he is (or at least has become) corrupt. He may have started out with good intentions, but Washington has apparently long since sucked him into the shitter.

Happens to them all eventually. This is the strongest case for term limits and public financing of elections.

We need to get the money from private interests out of the politican's pockets.

[OrvilleHLarson]

Goddamn right.

The U.S. Congress--aka the "Parliament of Whores" as P. J. O'Rourke called 'em--is the best that money can buy. Everybody in it is PAC-owned-and-operated.

Hell, yes, there ought to be term limits.

Ever see the sci-fi classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956) starring Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter? Well, the culture of the District of Corruption has the same effect. Sooner or later you're absorbed by it!

Dr. Ron Paul for President.

[naschkatze]

I thought he rolled over and played dead for Pat Roberts time and time again.

[Purcy]

Democrat or Republican, throw him out! And, let's begin public financing of elections and put a stop to the corruption! This is completely sickening! Senator Rockefeller, are you really willing to sell the rights of the American people for so LITTLE? I wouldn't even think that was top dollar. Wait until someone that you care about is wiretapped and ends up in some far off prison because of something they said, only because it was SUSPICIOUS! I truly do not understand what is happening to my Country and the Constitution.

[oldgringo]

The name Rockefeller places the "gentleman" more firmly in the ranks of the Ivy League educated ruling elite than the name Clinton will ever be. Obviously, the amount of the "donations" seem to be paltry in comparison to the legal risks seen by the donors and their companies WITHOUT IMMUNITY.
It would be interesting to see how much of the ROCKEFELLER FORTUNES are invested in the subject companies and find out what THEIR share of the risk factor might be....

[AurigaRa]

no shit

[syllepsis]

It's got to be the investments, and also possibly the implications for big business of all kinds that these lawsuits raise.
If telecoms have immunity to spy, that is yet another step in the privatization of our country. The Government can then say they're not wiretapping without warrants when the telecoms establish their own autonomous 'programs.' (The Government wants to gand over to AT&T the spy business, just like it's handing military contracts to Blackwater. Of course the Government has to find money to pay for no bid contracts... Zero accountability, maximum profit.)