U.S. Democrats seek alternative on phone immunity

US DEMOCRATS SEEK ALTERNATIVE ON PHONE IMMUNITY
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Thomas Ferraro]
Democratic lawmakers drew White House fire on Tuesday when they offered an alternative to U.S. President George W. Bush's demand that phone companies that participated in his warrantless domestic spying program receive immunity from lawsuits. Under the Democratic proposal, phone companies would present their defense in a closed-door U.S. district court, with the judge given access to confidential documents about the electronic surveillance begun after the September 11 attacks. The proposed House bill would establish a national commission with subpoena power to investigate the program. The proposed House bill would amend FISA to grant new authority for conducting surveillance, but not as much as demanded by Bush administration. Even if the full House passes the Democratic measure, it appears certain Republicans will block it in the Senate, extending with no apparent end in sight an election-year dispute over national security.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1162638420080311

* Statement by the Press Secretary on FISA
House Democratic leaders are subverting the will of a bipartisan majority of House members by failing to allow a vote on the Senate FISA bill - a bill which received overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 68 to 29.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/03/20080311-7.html

* House Democrats refuse to delete pending spy lawsuits
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9891367-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5
* Relief for Phone Firms Proposed
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/11/AR2008031102801.html
* House Dems: No immunity for telecoms
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080312/a_capcol12.art.htm
* Google closes deal for DoubleClick
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-google12mar12,1,6113602.story

* Telecom companies try to buy their way out of trouble
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News 3/7/08, AUTHOR: Robert Jacobson]
[Commentary] California's biggest telephone companies are throwing their political weight around again. But this time the issue isn't about yet more rate increases or competing with cable TV. It's spying.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/opinion/ci_8486550