Senate Grants Telecom Immunity, Gives White House Expanded Eavesdropping Powers

The Democratically controlled U.S. Senate voted 68-29 today to grant George W. Bush's eavesdropping wish list. Nineteen Democrats and one Independent joined the lock-step voting Republicans to give the White House what the New York Times called a "major victory."

From the Times:

The bill would grant immunity to phone companies from some 40 lawsuits now pending that charge the firms broke the law by taking part in (President Bush's warrantless wiretapping) program ... the bill would also widen the executive branch’s surveillance powers by allowing the National Security Agency and intelligence agencies to use broad orders — without getting court orders in advance — to eavesdrop on groups of overseas targets, rather than using individualized warrants.

Oregon's Ron Wyden voted against it. Gordon Smith approved it. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama didn't vote.

By a 67-31 vote, the Senate defeated an amendment by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) that would have removed the telecom immunity provision. Below are the Democrats who Sen. Dodd said are "advocating this notion that you have to give up liberties to be more secure."

Baucus (MT)
Bayh (IN)
Carper (DE)
Casey (PA)
Conrad (ND)
Inouye (HI)
Johnson (SD)
Kohl (WI)
Landrieu (LA)
Lincoln (AZ)
McCaskill (MO)
Mikulski (MD)
Nelson (FL)
Nelson (NE)
Pryor (AR)
Rockefeller (WV)
Salazar (CO)
Webb (VA)
Whitehouse (RI)

With Democrats like these standing up for civil liberties and separation of powers, who needs Republicans.

Another fine example proving that it's not good enough to simply elect Democrats. The kind of Democrats we elect matters. Democrats control the House and the Senate, yet George W. Bush, the Republican Party and their aptly played "fear" card still control the agenda and the debate in Washington, D.C.