GOP To Telecoms: Give Us Cash For Advocating Wiretaps

Roll Call reports:

With the House Democrats' refusal to grant retroactive immunity to phone companies -- stalling the rewrite of the warrantless wiretapping program -- GOP leadership aides are grumbling that their party isn't getting more political money from the telecommunications industry.

Like most corporate interests with a heavy stake in Congressional action, the major phone companies significantly boosted their contributions to Democrats last year after the party surged back into the majority.

But giving by that sector is getting special attention from Republicans now that the debate over the surveillance program is front and center -- and focused on the phone companies' role in aiding the Bush administration after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. ...

House Republicans have sought to capitalize on the immunity issue by painting Democrats as more interested in enriching their trial lawyer supporters than protecting national security.

In a reflection of the sensitivity of the subject matter, and an apparent recognition that they would undermine their own messaging by appearing to be motivated by fundraising concerns, Republicans on and off Capitol Hill declined to comment on the record.

But several confirmed the griping in GOP leadership ranks over the phone companies' shifting donations.

"When those numbers are made evident, it causes some angst," one Republican lobbyist said. "Leadership are told by staff, who look through this. There's communication back and forth" between GOP leadership and downtown.

"There's no question that from time to time staff, and maybe some Members, say to fellow travelers: 'Are you giving us some air cover? Are you helping us help you?'"

The Washington Post also reports today that the GOP sees political gain in the FISA issue:

Republicans are convinced that highlighting their counterterrorism policies will be a political winner in this presidential election year, and they have focused this week on Democratic opposition to their version of a new surveillance bill as a way to paint Democrats as soft on national security, according to GOP lawmakers and their aides.

Democrats respond that they are unfazed by the attacks, arguing that most Americans doubt the credibility of President Bush and Republicans when it comes to warning about security threats.

Bush and GOP lawmakers have been releasing a blizzard of public statements and organizing multiple news conferences to pressure the House to adopt a Senate bill renewing and expanding a temporary surveillance law called the Protect America Act. The measure would grant legal immunity to telecommunications companies over their cooperation in warrantless wiretapping done after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Comments

[KingGeorgetheTurd]

My hope is the democrats make a deal with the teletubbies and after a democrat is in the whitehouse they will grant them immunity only after they turn over all evidence that will lead to a Bush administration post election conviction.
Then Mr Bush and Mr Cheney can flee the country to their estates they aquired down in Paraguay with the rest of the fascists.

[BatedBreath]

Anyone with a landline unfortunate enough to live in former SBC now AT&T territory might have notice how their bills have gone up since the merger. Have you ever wondered if the companies (AT&T specifically) agreed to illegal spying because they were preparing for a merger and expected a little help from their friends?. A little bit of I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine?

[scooperss]

Yep I have.

[BetterDeadthanRedState]

Nothing more Republican than a good, old-fashioned shakedown.

[TLV]

I was going to say nothing more Republican than a good, old-fashioned circle jerk.

[hmmmmmer]

Are Republicans just going nuts? They are probably going to explode when the election is over and they have totally lost out on everything.

[CAPTAINSKIPPY]

How about a $1200 annual rebate on the phone bill, for every consumer? Shouldn't be forced to donate to criminals posing as telecom repairmen, who want to payoff criminals posing as the GOP political party.

[antiparanoid]

These guys don't just give you their fears. They sell them to you.

[BlackbirdHighway]

The results of the 2008 elections have been accidently released early:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBrDzZCOQtI

[loki]

Buying off politicians is not news, its an hourly event in DC. What I find interesting is that even apparently the telecom companies know they broke the law, and are scurrying like rats trying to buy their way out of it. American justice at its best. Money overrules the law, again.

And we all know the Dumborats will cave, especially seeing all the money they are missing out on. Greed drives DC.

[samuraijack]

Hey- is that Rep. Boner out front? Is that little pussy crying-- AGAIN???!!! Poor guy, he's so emotional. I hear he still wets the bed.

[Gary47]

Gee, more evidence leaks out that corporations run the government. Who would've thought.

[catoutofthebag]

Now more than ever, we should be mindful of these words:
"We must especially beware of that small group of selfish men who would clip the wings of the American eagle in order to feather their own nests."
Franklin D. Roosevelt,1941 State of the Union Address

[loki]

Words like those are only a good feeling for citizens. They really do nothing to fix the problem. As long as corporations are allowed to have the benefits of being individuals when it comes to influence, and corporations when it comes to crime. They need to be corporations, or individuals, but not both. And they need to be out of DC.

[bitabingbitabangbitaboom]

TIME TO REBOOT AMERICA!

[loki]

Rethug Neo Cons are trying to do just that with NAzi boots. a Neo Nazi Con Rethug Reboot...

[PrdAmerican]

Why don't these DEBATES ask the tough questions. Telecoms would be an excellent start.

[tomcat27834]

what? and risk the chance of a moderator not asking titallating questions about....umm, Louis Farrakhan?

[jqcitizen]

The President, at press conference hours ago, said the House of Representatives must give retroactive immunity to the telecom industry for HIS illegal order to cooperate in violating the Constitution. He wants the House to 'Rubberstamp' the Senate. The Senators that voted for immunity are just as guilty as his administration.
Protecting and defending the Constitution is a sworn oath that they have failed to live up to.
The President, perhaps unknowingly, stated his true reason for demanding retroactive immunity. -To protect the shareholders of the phone companies from law suits. How phoney can this guy get?

How can anyone forget how he cared about the shareholders of ENRON. I don't think the shareholders of Silverado Savings and Loan, Denver, Colorado, were of much concern while his brother, Niel, was ripping that institution off either.

[MissingAmerica]

The Republicans are all about doing what is right for them, and to Hell with this country. It is time to get them out. It's a shame they can't see how necessary it is for them to just stop, reform and start all over again. Hopefully, at some point enough will wake up to the fact that they have totally lost their way. Meanwhile, get them out before the damage they are doing to this country becomes irreparable.

[HowietheScreamer]

True, the Repubic motto is "I got mine, fuck you".