Bush and the Phone Companies: Partners in Crime

Phone companies have opened a new front in their campaign against the free flow of information. This time they've found a powerful ally in the White House.

AT&T and Verizon have already shown their disdain for free speech and Net Neutrality, and their eagerness to let government spies lurk on our phone calls. Now, their lobbyists have teamed with President George Bush to strong arm Congress into granting full immunity for a disturbing array of illegal and unconstitutional acts.

Bush: Siding with AT&T and against the rest of us

A handful of legislators, though, are holding out against the pressure, which is no small feat given the extreme powers behind the amnesty grab.

Money, Politics and the Law

Both Verizon and AT&T spend hundreds of millions of dollars on campaign contributions, congressional junkets, Washington lawyers, lobbyists and PR campaigns.

Much of this political clout is now being focused on one issue: elevating phone companies above the law so they can invade our homes via phone lines, the Internet and other modern communications -- acting as the ultimate gatekeepers against the free flow of information.

Earlier this year they were caught handing over customer phone records to the National Security Agency (NSA). The phone companies first denied it and then started a quiet campaign with the White House to gain immunity from any lawsuits.

The campaign got a lot louder on Wednesday, when President Bush told reporters that he would veto a new FISA eavesdropping bill that doesn't grant retroactive immunity to the phone companies.

Thus far, about 40 active lawsuits name several telecommunications companies for alleged violations of wiretapping laws. Other suits are in the works, pending this legislation.

A Few Brave Congress People

Despite the intense pressure from lobbyists and the White House, Americans are telling Congress that they're fed up with the abuse.

On Wednesday, some of our representatives showed that they were listening. The House Judiciary Committee voted down an amendment to the FISA bill, which would have granted legal immunity to Verizon and AT&T for an as yet unspecified list of legal violations. (The White House and NSA have thus far refused to reveal to us just how far the phone company legal abuse has gone).

Democrats will bring the bills to the full House for passage next week. The Senate Intelligence Committee will be introducing its own bill. The House move against immunity should serve as a guide for their colleagues in Senate chambers. [See update below]

Telecommunication companies are among the most powerful political donors in the United States. They have also worked hand-in-hand with the Bush administration to whittle away our constitutional freedoms, all the while seeking special policy favors and a rubber stamp for a recent spate of mega-billion-dollar telco mergers.

Protecting Free Speech Everywhere: Democracy's Last Stand

Today's committee vote might be a hopeful sign that their political clout has its limits. But this fight is far from over. Bush is still threatening to veto any legislation that doesn't hold his telco friends above the law.

It begs the question: Why would someone stick out his neck so far to protect such bad actors?

Amnesty for AT&T and Verizon for illegally wiretapping Americans is a stunning example of the ways this White House sides with their corporate benefactors against the most fundamental democratic principles. The Bush administration would rather flout the laws for themselves and other friends in high places than protect the free speech and privacy of law abiding Americans.

Phone companies can't be trusted to act in good faith to protect the free flow of information. The White House can't be trusted to stand with ordinary Americans and the Constitution against its own special interests. Congress must step in to protect our rights to use phones, text messaging and the Internet with policies that keep the lines open, neutral and free of corporate and government gatekeepers.

The fight for these basic freedoms will be fought in Congress. It's time everyone got involved.

[UPDATE: Glenn Greenwald reports that the Senate version of the bill introduced by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D - W. Va.) DOES contain full retroactive amnesty for the telcos. Greenwald points to Rockefeller's long history on the receiving end of phone company contributions as possible explanation]

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Comments

[Imhotep]

Maybe Gonzales could get Congress to include him in their absolution for all past unConstitutional activity? Peace

[4State]

"Amnesty for AT&T and Verizon for illegally wiretapping Americans is a stunning example of the ways this White House sides with their corporate benefactors against the most fundamental democratic principles. The Bush administration would rather flout the laws for themselves and other friends in high places than protect the free speech and privacy of law abiding Americans."



This about sums it up.

BushCo have continued to trash the Constitution and the rights of Americans and humans everywhere. May Duyba and the rest of his High Crimes Cabal rot in hell. Or the Hague. Or his Crime Family home in Paraguay.

May his legacy reek of the scum and shame that has been the benchmark of Republicans for the fascist takeover of our nation and our rights.

[darcy]

4State, so true. I'm reading The Shock Doctrine, and it seems that the fascism here in the U.S. is simply a continuation of that begun in South America and Asia in the 1950's, in which our CIA and corporations were complicit.

We're screwed.

[Oldchef]

I too remember when the government actually tried to break monopolies. More and more , in every industry, mergers approved by this government have moved us back to the days of one or two coprporations dominating certain critical industries. Along with these concentrations of power we see incredible increases in profitability for the companies and larger bills for us. The telecom giants want to control internet access as well as telephone communications, charge more for faster connections, censor content as ATT did recently, etc.,etc. They have done Bush's bidding in his illegal and warrantless invasions of personal privacy, and now they want retroactive immunity. I have to ask, along with everyone else, why they should need immunity if they've done nothing illegal. It appears that they've participated in a data mining project that has little or nothing to do with actual security concerns, as well as tapping the legal representatives of some suspected persons. Could their concerns be related to illegal taps of lawyers' supposedly privileged communications? Or something even worse? What is it that they are afraid will come out eventually?

[Oldchef]

I remember when they used to break up monopolies too. During the last 6 years we've seen an incredible number of mergers leading to bigger profits for them and bigger bills for us. MBAs are not the best guardians of people's rights, they're trained to maximize corporate profits and that's seldom to the customer's benefit. The telecom giants want control of broadband, they'll do anything BUSHCO wants to get what they want.

I too ask why they should need immunity. Have they compromised supposedly privileged communications between lawyers and clients? Maybe worse?

btw...what makes you think your cable company won't give up your VOIP communications, or your e-mails?

[SouthpawSass]

I got rid of Verizon. At&t is next on my list...

I hope Time Warner's not doing anything stupid. Otherwise, I might as well give up the phone and internet all together.

[dadw5boys]

TELECOMS GOT RID OF THE BROADBAND RULES BY HELPING BUSH SPY ON AMERICANS!
Thats Capitalism!

[Imhotep]

No that's Fascism. Peace

[locanicole]

First off, I am getting tired of seeing Mr. Petulant-in-Chief get in front of the US public and pull this act of his. Emphatically stating what "HE" wants, pursing his lips, and dripping sarcasm. And secondly, if his government and the people who are enabling him in this (undeclared) war of rhetoric are not doing anything illegal, why in the world would they need immunity? This is just mind-bottling! Let's hope our representatives can remain strong. Personally I would rather see the government grind to a halt than give this idiot anything he asks for.

[nomobull]

THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED

[rlehman]

I remember the Ma Bell breakup. I remember learning what a monopoly was and why it is a bad thing from my father when I asked about it.

Up until a few months ago I was a reasonably satisfied Bellsouth customer. Now Ma Bell is back as a result of AT&T gobbling up Bellsouth.
For a number of reasons I have been a very unsatisfied AT&T customer. Not the least of which is the issues addressed in this post.

On October 24th the cable guy and I will shake hands and I will no longer have to deal with AT&T. I will also be sending an email and snail mail letter to AT&T detailing the reasons I'm leaving the fold. Monopolies are still bad.