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Feinstein backs legal immunity for telecom firms in wiretap cases
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 11/9/7 | Bob Egelko

Posted on 11/09/2007 8:07:34 AM PST by SmithL

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Thursday that she favors legal immunity for telecommunications companies that allegedly shared millions of customers' telephone and e-mail messages and records with the government, a position that could lead to the dismissal of numerous lawsuits pending in San Francisco.

In a statement at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is considering legislation to extend the Bush administration's electronic surveillance program, Feinstein said the companies should not be "held hostage to costly litigation in what is essentially a complaint about administration activities."

She endorsed a recent statement by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W. Va., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, that companies assured by top administration officials that the surveillance program was legal "should not be dragged through the courts for their help with national security."

Feinstein, D-Calif., plays a pivotal role on the Judiciary Committee, which has a 10-9 Democratic majority. If she joins committee Republicans in voting next Thursday to protect telecommunications companies from lawsuits for their roles in the surveillance program, the proposal - a top priority of President Bush - will become part of legislation that reaches the Senate floor.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 110th; feinstein; telcoms

1 posted on 11/09/2007 8:07:36 AM PST by SmithL
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Somebody else will need to find out how the DUmmies are taking this. I went over there last night to check on their response to the Mukasey confirmation.


2 posted on 11/09/2007 8:07:51 AM PST by SmithL (I don't do Barf Alerts, you're old enough to read and decide for yourself)
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To: SmithL

Is Di-Fi up for re-election or something??
Or is the apocalypse about the start?


3 posted on 11/09/2007 8:11:46 AM PST by pillut48 (CJ in TX --Soccer Mom and proud RUSH REPUBLICAN! WIN, FRED, WIN!!!)
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To: SmithL
Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Thursday that she favors legal immunity for telecommunications companies that allegedly shared millions of customers' telephone and e-mail messages and records with the government,

Of course she would, she's a liberal!
4 posted on 11/09/2007 8:15:58 AM PST by af_vet_rr
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To: pillut48

I have a feeling they got the goods on her and her husband’s sole source contracts and she know it. She will not make any waves and exit quietly with the loot.


5 posted on 11/09/2007 8:16:00 AM PST by battlecry
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To: SmithL
OK. Now I wonder if her husband has any financial interest in these companies?


6 posted on 11/09/2007 8:17:29 AM PST by darkwing104 (Let's get dangerous)
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To: SmithL

“Mukasey confirmed with least support in 55 years”-WAPO.
Claims a ‘narrow’ confirmation (53-40 is ‘narrow’? If it was
51-50, yeah, but 13 votes over? Anyway...)

I love sour grapes. :-)

Nothing on Di-Fi yet—but DU doesn’t have a search engine that I can find, so I’m not sure.


7 posted on 11/09/2007 8:17:46 AM PST by pillut48 (CJ in TX --Soccer Mom and proud RUSH REPUBLICAN! WIN, FRED, WIN!!!)
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To: pillut48

She was just re-elected last year.

I doubt she will run again; she’s got a couple years on McCain.


8 posted on 11/09/2007 8:19:35 AM PST by freespirited (I'm voting for the GOP nominee.)
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To: pillut48
“Mukasey confirmed with least support in 55 years”-WAPO.

If he were a RAT, the Jewish organizations would be crying anti-Semitism.

(I am allowed to say this because I am Jewish.)

9 posted on 11/09/2007 8:21:46 AM PST by freespirited (I'm voting for the GOP nominee.)
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To: pillut48
"Is Di-Fi up for re-election or something??"

Naw, Box of Rocks is next up in 2010. The curious thing here is that a Democrat is ok with giving immunity to telecomm companies for sharing information, but they want to impeach President Bush for "wiretapping."

"Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W. Va., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, that companies assured by top administration officials that the surveillance program was legal "should not be dragged through the courts for their help with national security."

I'm just so sure that Rockefeller and the rest of the Dems will apply this same reasoning for Halliburton.

10 posted on 11/09/2007 8:21:53 AM PST by Enterprise (Those who "betray us" also "Betray U.S." They're called DEMOCRATS!)
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To: battlecry

You won the Jackpot.


11 posted on 11/09/2007 8:30:31 AM PST by golfisnr1 (Democrats are like roaches - hard to get rid of.)
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To: freespirited

:-)

Gotta hand it to those dinosaur media types—they can take all the joy out of GREAT news and make it sound like something horrible has happened! :-)

Can’t wait to see their headlines when the Demoncrats lose the 2008 elections! ;-)


12 posted on 11/09/2007 8:32:03 AM PST by pillut48 (CJ in TX --Soccer Mom and proud RUSH REPUBLICAN! WIN, FRED, WIN!!!)
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To: Enterprise

Rocky is under investigation for leaks.


13 posted on 11/09/2007 8:32:22 AM PST by golfisnr1 (Democrats are like roaches - hard to get rid of.)
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To: battlecry

BINGO! :-)

Must be hard having to make nice-nice with the ‘enemy’, LOL!


14 posted on 11/09/2007 8:32:40 AM PST by pillut48 (CJ in TX --Soccer Mom and proud RUSH REPUBLICAN! WIN, FRED, WIN!!!)
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To: battlecry
"...I have a feeling they got the goods on her and her husband’s sole source contracts and she know it. She will not make any waves and exit quietly with the loot..."

B I N G O !
15 posted on 11/09/2007 9:08:22 AM PST by Islander7 ("Show me an honest politician and I will show you a case of mistaken identity.")
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To: darkwing104
OK. Now I wonder if her husband has any financial interest in these companies?

I wonder how much she receives in political contributions from the telcos. AT&T's big intercept point is located in her district.

16 posted on 11/09/2007 9:22:05 AM PST by HAL9000 (Fred Thompson/Mike Huckabee 2008)
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