Wiretap Correction

WIRETAP CORRECTION
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] The current Congress has done little to brag about, but in the case of its recent wiretapping legislation we sold it short in one key respect. As part of the bill authorizing the executive branch to wiretap al Qaeda suspects, Congress did give _prospective_ liability protection to telephone companies that cooperate with U.S. intelligence agencies. Democratic leaders still refused to allow _retrospective_ liability protection, which means the companies remain vulnerable to lawsuits for having cooperated in the months after 9/11. Worse, the legislation lasts for only six months, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi is already saying Democrats will try to rewrite the rules to restrict this crucial war-fighting power. This is one debate the White House should be willing to have publicly, so Americans can appreciate that many Democrats think it is appropriate to unleash the trial bar on U.S. companies merely for helping our military prevent future terrorist attacks.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118757298439002514.html?mod=todays_us_opinion
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* Today the clock runs out on the latest deadline for the White House to turn over materials regarding the National Security Agency's eavesdropping program to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/19/AR2007081901397.html