GOP ‘Griping’ That They Haven’t Seen ‘The Financial Gravy Train’ From Telecoms
GOP ‘Griping’ That They Haven’t Seen ‘The Financial Gravy Train’ From Telecoms
In the fight over retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies who participated in the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program after 9/11, a popular right-wing meme has been that “the real reason Democrats oppose immunity” is because they are allegedly beholden to trial lawyers who “want to push massive class action suits against the telecom companies.” Even though the claim is false, the theme has been echoed by the entire conservative infrastructure.
Robert Novak pushed it in his Washington Post column while Rush Limbaugh aired the charge on his radio show. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) alleged it on the Senate floor and White House Press Secretary Dana Perino made the claim on Fox News.
President Bush made the same unfounded claims in his press conference today, speculating that “class action plaintiffs attorneys” see “a financial gravy train” in “trying to sue” telecommunications companies. Watch it:
If anyone is looking for a “financial gravy train,” it’s conservatives. Roll Call reports that congressional conservatives are “grumbling” and “griping” that their efforts to protect telecoms haven’t yielded more contributions from the industry:
With the House Democrats’ refusal to grant retroactive immunity to phone companies — stalling the rewrite of the warrantless wiretapping program — GOP leadership aides are grumbling that their party isn’t getting more political money from the telecommunications industry. [...]
In a reflection of the sensitivity of the subject matter, and an apparent recognition that they would undermine their own messaging by appearing to be motivated by fundraising concerns, Republicans on and off Capitol Hill declined to comment on the record. [...]
“There’s no question that from time to time staff, and maybe some Members, say to fellow travelers: ‘Are you giving us some air cover? Are you helping us help you?’”
Despite GOP complaints that their efforts to grant retroactive immunity for the industry aren’t being financially rewarded, three out of the four major phone companies “still give a majority to Republicans,” though “by slimmer margins than in years past.”
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But congressional conservatives are now revealing their actual financial motivations in the immunity fight, “grumbling†and “griping†that their efforts to protect telecoms haven’t yielded more contributions from the industry:
Republicans want to give us the best government telecom money can buy!
February 28th, 2008 at 10:54 amThe Shrub looks like he’s dying from within.
His black-heart soul is finally taking it’s toll.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:57 amOf gourse this is what Botch and the GOOP are going to say. They have to find SOME way of spinning this so somebody else looks bad.
“It’s the Dems fault because they’re beholding to trial lawyers! Oh, look… something shiny!”
Let’s get back to what REALLY matters here… the fact that Botch lied when he said “We’re all gonna DIE!” once the bill expired. (They kept right on spying…)
AND… if the telecomms did nothing wrong, why do they meed RETROACTIVE immunity?
Will Roberts find it upsetting the telelcomms be held responsible for their activities too, when the time comes?
February 28th, 2008 at 10:58 amOh my god! You mean that political agendas are being driven by money rather that by what’s good for the country and authorized by the Constitution????
I’m shocked! Shocked, I say!!
February 28th, 2008 at 10:58 amHey , maybe the telecoms can help 100 yrs McCain out by (buy) giving him $ome $$$ to help his run for the white house.These telecoms are a real credible bunch,almost as credible as the REICH WING.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:58 amI can hardly believe how hard these bastards are pushing for telecom immunity. I sure hope the Dems don’t roll over on this…
February 28th, 2008 at 10:59 amThe press at this conference was not forceful.
Washington Post’s Michael Abramowitz, mischaracterized Obama and Clinton regarding meeting with Iran and Cuba ( they WITH CONDITIONS) giving Bush a free shot at them as he said they would meet WITHOUT CONDITIONS.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:00 amWe have apparently settled on an angle and are now beginning to see the introduction of their patent-pending Triangulation Method.
Novak and Rush have already started.
Hannity will go with it. Beck will go with it.
The blogs will go with it.
The local print and tv media will follow.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:00 am“There’s no question that from time to time staff, and maybe some Members, say to fellow travelers: ‘Are you giving us some air cover? Are you helping us help you?’â€
So much for the conservative theme, that money=free speech. These store-bought whores are pimping themselves with none too subtle reminders that republicans rarely stay bought, so you’d better keep the campaign-cash spigot wide open.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:02 amBush said at the conference that what the telecoms did “was legal”. So, why should he worry? Have we ever had a president who can so boldface lie on and on and on?
February 28th, 2008 at 11:03 amDid anyone else notice how out of it he seemed?
He rushed through his opening statement as if he had just been handed it and didn’t care what he said–it was strictly pro forma. There was no energy in anything he said afterwards, either. At some level, does he realize how badly things are going and what a mess he’s made of his presidency?
February 28th, 2008 at 11:03 amaw, quitcherb!tchin!
look what it says, right there on the teevee screen:
“Pres.Bush: America’s civil liberties ARE WELL PROTECTED”
if our LEADLESS FEARER says so, it must be true…
February 28th, 2008 at 11:05 amso, we can type out “shit” but not “b!tch”… ok
February 28th, 2008 at 11:06 amPerhaps it’s time to rechristen the Republican Party as The Projectionist Party.
It’s so mind-numbingly predictable; they identify a flaw of their own (whether they do this consciously or subconsciously, I don’t know) and then they accuse the other side of that exact flaw. We’ve seen it over and over again.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:06 amYou know…..
This may just be an ancillary benefit of withholding immunity. Perhaps the reason the telcoms aren’t rewarding the Repubs is that the Repubs have failedhttp://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/26/graham-reconciliation FAILED to deliver. So the more the fail (i.e. no immunity in the bill) the less money they get.
So keep it up. DO NOT, under any circumstance grant immunity of any kind.
Get your free Pocket BARACK-itizer here.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:09 amIn the fight over retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies who participated in the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program after 9/11
Excuse me, but there is proof that they participated BEFORE 911. That’s my sticking point. I might be able to go along with immunity (after full disclosure on their part) if they participated only after 911. But providing them immunity for spying on us before 911 is a non-starter.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:09 amYahoo news headlines (front page)
1st headline:
President Bush says United States not headed into recession
3rd headline:
Economy skids to near halt in fourth quarter
This is why I am not worried about the next President being Republican. We have serious economic problems and instead of dealing with it they simply pretend they can lie us into thinking nothing is wrong.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:09 amWow! I just ran the video clip, and this snarling moron sounds like a petulant, whiny snot.
Oh, right.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:10 am[Boy, the computer gremlins sure messed up my last post. Let me try it again]
You know…..
This may just be an ancillary benefit of withholding immunity. Perhaps the reason the telcoms aren’t rewarding the Repubs is that the Repubs have FAILED to deliver. So the more they fail (i.e. no immunity in the bill) the less money they get.
So keep it up. DO NOT, under any circumstance grant immunity of any kind.
Get your free Pocket BARACK-itizer here.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:11 am“There’s no question that from time to time staff, and maybe some Members, say to fellow travelers: ‘Are you giving us some air cover? Are you helping us help you?’â€
“are you helping us help you” = Where’s the payola?
February 28th, 2008 at 11:11 amRep. Judd Gregg’s on board this gravy train. He’s using the exact same rhetoric on C-span right now.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:12 amSo if the government asks you to do something your corporate lawyers tell you is illegal, but the government says, ‘hey, it’s legal!’, then you get to break the law because you believed the gummint?
Not.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:12 amAt some level, does he realize how badly things are going and what a mess he’s made of his presidency?
Comment by Viking — February 28, 2008 @ 11:03 am
Only during that 45 minutes every day when he’s sober…
February 28th, 2008 at 11:12 amkaty- I wanted to punch that teevee screen. And what a miserable press. And it was obvious some reporters were pre-screened for the questions to be asked. This press and these conferences are Third World.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:13 amLet’s take it one step further.
I want each of you to hack into your neighbors unsecured wifi connection and fdisk all the hard drives on those systems. It’s legal.
Then go brag about it to your neighbors. Tell them I said it was cool and legal.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:14 amwho’s saying the telecoms would even lose their cases? they’ve got the most powerful lawyers around… let them have their day in court – THAT is what would be fair, Mr. Prez!
February 28th, 2008 at 11:15 amIf it was legal why does anyone need immunity? If it was legal how can anyone expect to wring any money out of the greedy claws of the telecoms?
February 28th, 2008 at 11:15 amForeigners, foreigners, foreigners!!!
Sen. Gregg’s near to apoplectic incoherence. He’s ragging on the House for supporting the trial lawyers.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:16 amTake heart, oh wise and charismatic leader of the free world…
The evil trial lawyers can never take away the government’s right to abuse the legal system. NEVER!
February 28th, 2008 at 11:17 amI only listened to part of the press conference on NPR (could only stand it for so long) and I did hear some of them at least try to nail Bush down a few times with follow-up questions that he talked over and attempted to avoid.
I can’t take listening to that creep for long, though, or I’d be punching out a perfectly innocent car radio.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:17 amI wanna see this guy behind bars!
February 28th, 2008 at 11:18 amPete- exactly. Let this thing go through the courts. If we cannot get some rule of law in America (been absent since the Supreme Court’s Florida vote decision) then there is no hope for America.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:18 amComment by gummitch — February 28, 2008 @ 11:17 am
February 28th, 2008 at 11:19 amYeah, he actually cut them off.
What – won’t those bad telecom bastards honor your crooked quid pro quo, poor lil’ ol’ republican’t gangsters??
Maybe you should go tell your moms about it guys.
And round up your lawyers for a nice round of RICO prosecution.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:21 amWe have apparently settled on an angle and are now beginning to see the introduction of their patent-pending Triangulation Method.
Comment by FearandSmear — February 28, 2008 @ 11:00 am
Sounds like a new way to use the Wedge strategy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedge_strategy
February 28th, 2008 at 11:24 amDick Durbin just made the point that even if Fisa should temporarily expire, there are legal provisions in place that keep it going for a year. So there is no rush.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:29 amGOP FINANCIAL GRAVY TRAIN = GRAFT = CORRUPTION
clear enough?
February 28th, 2008 at 11:34 amListening to republicans talk out of both sides of their mouth at the same time makes me feel slimey. How low can they go?
February 28th, 2008 at 11:34 amYeah. That’s like the Mafia loan shark going to the police to complain that the borrower hasn’t paid back his loan.
Or the drug dealer going to the police to report that his drugs have been stolen.
I don’t get it, but hey, I guess if you’re a Repuke, it makes sense….
February 28th, 2008 at 11:36 amnellre; jail, hell!
I want to see him in a noose. A gallows-dancer.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:41 amDid anyone else notice how out of it he seemed?
GDumbya’s handlers should really have a “Plan B” ready to roll at times like this when he shows up drunk and stoned for a press conference. Where was Dana Perino when they needed her?
On the other hand, I don’t think I have ever heard GDumbya speak coherently so how would they really be able to tell the difference.
At any rate, after this moron said “we’re not in a recession”, that should have caused everyone to tune out on the rest of his drivel. And we all know that the only reason he is so intent on telcom immunity is to protect himself from discovery of the scope and depth of illegal wiretapping that he has been doing in the name of national security.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:41 amEver since the rise of ronnie raygun, I’ve been waiting and hoping that enough people would catch on to the fact that the GOP is a crooked business, not a political party that represents citizens. Now maybe, finally, a little of that is beginning to happen.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:45 am“you cannot expect phone companies to participate if they feel like
they’re gonna be sued”…
hand ‘em that warrent and they HAVE to “participate”…
just like they always have…
February 28th, 2008 at 11:47 amI want to see him in a noose. A gallows-dancer.
Comment by Uncle Ho
I prefer guillotines, I don’t know why.
Seems to me that people on a hanging are there because of morbid reasons, meanwhile people around guillotines were there because they expected some sense of justice out of it.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:50 am“…the government, said to those ALLEGED to have helped us, that,
it is in our national interest whine whine whine…”
ALLEGED to have helped???
why ever is he parsing that fact?
February 28th, 2008 at 11:50 amBecause the Telecoms know the Republicans are TOAST as a party. Dead. Stick a fork in em, etc.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:51 amComment by Juan C. — February 28, 2008 @ 11:50 am
Personally, given George’s fear of horses, my preferred method would be drawing and quartering (after a little harmless waterboarding, natch)
February 28th, 2008 at 12:01 pmhey, guys, you know what they say about fantacies…
February 28th, 2008 at 12:04 pmbest leave them in your head… ok?
Was the key word WARRANTLESS discussed in the presser?
They avoid that word like the plague.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:05 pmBut they’ll soon enjoy the Hague.
To me, the President looked like an angry eight-year old throwing a temper tantrum because he didn’t get his own way. Now he is threatening everyone with all kind of horrendous bogeyman like events if Congress doesn’t do what he wants. Sort of the Presidential equivalent of holding his breath until he turns blue.
Well, Congress, let him turn blue. There is not the threat as Bush describes because the basic provisions of the legal surveillance process are still in place.
How sophisticated we must look to the world. They are laughing their asses off at us as we bow our heads in shame.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:14 pmDumb Question 1: When I think of a legal firm, I think of something that will donate to conservative causes. (I admit, that Edwards had / has trial lawyer connections and the predjudice doesn’t hold true in 100% of the cases. But just that conservative lawyers like the color of money from class action suits also).
Dumb Question 2: If sued, wouldn’t the telcos have as a very reasonable defense, TOTALLY WITHOUT MANDATED IMMUNITY, to present, “Look folks, it was 1 week after 9/11 and the FBI came to us and said they had to wiretap this guy who was gonna blow up the X tomorrow. So because it was an emergency, and on the word of the president, we ….”
Dumb Question 3: Don’t companies break laws and regs all the time (examples including OSHA and Environmental) with the idea that it costs less to not do anything and just pay the fine ? Then the cost of the fine is just the cost of doing business ?
February 28th, 2008 at 12:14 pmYeah, giving the government carte blanche to tap all Americans’ phones is such a useful tool in the war on terrorism:
ACLU calls out US over ‘absurd bloating’ of terror watch list
More that 900,000 people are currently listed as suspected terrorists on the US government’s “do not fly” list, and that number will grow to beyond 1 million by summer, says the American Civil Liberties Union.
“If there were a million terrorists in this country, our cities would be in ruins,” Barry Steinhardt, director of the ACLU’s Technology and Liberty Program, stated in a press release from the group. “The absurd bloating of the terrorist watch lists is yet another example of how incompetence by our security apparatus threatens our rights without offering any real security.”
February 28th, 2008 at 12:16 pmBush has 0.00 political capital left to push this fascist agenda.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:17 pmA lame duck with eleven (damn it) months left, a marginal 30% approval rating, and no where to turn for support.
Just ignore his bizarre rantings, go about the nation’s business. Let him veto whatever, and override when you can. No more kowtowing to the petty dictator.
Bush isn’t really concerned about telcoms liability.
His real concern is the danger of getting this program out in open court, where he and his corrupt cabal would be exposed.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:27 pmfrom the google news page:
Bush Calls Surveillance Bill an ‘Urgent Priority’
New York Times – 39 minutes ago
By DAVID STOUT and BRIAN KNOWLTON WASHINGTON – Using some of his toughest language in weeks, President Bush prodded Congress on Thursday to pass his preferred version of surveillance legislation, asserting that every day of delay could put the country …
Bush will press for action on surveillance bill CNN
the NYT does nothing to contradict duby’s lies, except to guote
harry reid’s prepared statement:
“If the President had not rejected an extension of current law and refused to negotiate with Congress, it is very likely that the new FISA bill could already be law today,†the senator said, using the acronym for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. “It is disingenuous for the president to claim the country is less safe when he is the one responsible for holding up the legislative process.â€
at least the CNN report has a bit of real journalism involved:
Democrats have said that the existing 1978 law gives the government all the authority it needs to carry out surveillance and that passage of the final bill can wait until the House and Senate reconcile their differences.
Both the House and Senate versions of the bill would allow U.S. intelligence to tap into phone and Internet traffic overseas without obtaining a judge’s warrant, even if the calls were routed through communications centers in the United States.
2 sentences… thanks for that…
February 28th, 2008 at 12:28 pmfrom that CNN report… filed under “do as i say, not as i do”:
The president also repeated his objection to sitting down with leaders of countries such as Iran and Cuba, nations accused of abusing human rights and stifling democracy.
The move has been an issue between Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
“It is extremely counterproductive, sends chilling messages to our allies. … It would be a mistake,” Bush said. “Having your picture taken with someone like Raul (Castro) lends the status of our country to him.” Castro, brother of Fidel, is the new president of Cuba.
Bush said he intends to meet with China’s president during a trip to Beijing to see the summer Olympic Games, which begin in August.
The Bush administration has accused China, a major U.S. trade partner, of human rights abuses. Bush didn’t elaborate on what issues he might bring up.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:33 pmkaty; if a noose was good enough for Goering, Frank, Streicher, & the other Nazis at Nuremberg, it’s good enough for Bush. No fantasy, but justice.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:37 pmThe spirit of Abramoff and DeLay lives on in K Street and throughout the hallowed Republicand Party Halls even today!
February 28th, 2008 at 12:47 pm“The president also repeated his objection to sitting down with leaders of countries such as Iran and Cuba, nations accused of abusing human rights and stifling democracy.”
***
So I gather Bush is refusing to sit down and talk w/ himself, too…
February 28th, 2008 at 12:54 pmI thought life was only unfair to tornado victims.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:56 pmWhoa… is he ever crocked!
I know a drunk when I see one.
What a p*ss poor excuse for a human being, let a POTUS.
If it was LEGAL, like he’s claiming, why do the telecomms need RETROACTIVE immunity?
February 28th, 2008 at 12:59 pm62 posts and not one from a troll. What’s wrong little trollies, you afraid you’re being spied on and once the Democrats get in power we’re going to find out who you little fascists are? Don’t be scared, the GOOPers will protect you. Come out and tell us how your people will retain power forever, Frank M, anybody?
February 28th, 2008 at 1:14 pmBecause TRoS they’re scared to death what would come out in court if these civil suits move forward. It isn’t drink and drugs this time that has W spitting all over himself. It’s his own fear blowing back at him.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:15 pm.
One of the defining characteristics to what it means to be an American, is the freedom from a form of Government that needs to spy on it’s own people; TYRANNY. Thus The Fourth Amendment.
R E M E M B E R:
THEY(sic) HATE US FOR OUR FREEDOMS…
And so, THEY(sic) lobby and debate the merits to undermining that characteristic, that freedom, that Right. When Americans and America lose that Right and freedom, who wins?
Now that, Mr. President, is what is patently unfair…
p.s.
Warrantless is NOT legal even if the president thinks it is.
.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:20 pm… No fantasy, but justice.
Comment by Uncle Ho — February 28, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
it’s just really offensive to see such sentiments stated
on a progressive blog… fodder for the righties, ya know…
you don’t want to know what my mind can conjure up as to what i’d like to see done to these criminals… and i sure wouldn’t publish it…
just sayin’…
February 28th, 2008 at 1:26 pmkaty @ no. 66:
Point well taken.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:58 pmI will in the future keep my opinions on what should be done to
these people to myself.
katy; so you think it’s wrong to hold US leaders to the same standards that it holds for others?
I don’t.
February 28th, 2008 at 2:10 pmWhy is the motive never…” just because we are Americans”? Unbelievable that the conservatives can push their self-serving messages at the expense of democracy. NO! No immunity for the telecom! Let them work it out in court.
February 28th, 2008 at 2:22 pmDoes anyone think that if Bill Clinton did even a fraction of the sh*t that Bush has done, that they would not only be pushing for impeachment, but summary execution immediately?
February 28th, 2008 at 3:03 pmthey being the GOP.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:05 pm“Look folks, it was 1 week after 9/11 and the FBI came to us and said they had to wiretap this guy who was gonna blow up the X tomorrow. So because it was an emergency, and on the word of the president, we ….â€
The telcoms don’t have that as a defense because they, in fact, started wiretapping and spying on us just weeks after Bush took office. That was long before 911.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:33 pmit’s just really offensive to see such sentiments stated
on a progressive blog… fodder for the righties, ya know…
you don’t want to know what my mind can conjure up as to what i’d like to see done to these criminals… and i sure wouldn’t publish it…
just sayin’…
Comment by katy
I totally agree with you katy. Take the words written here and make “Bush” into “Obama” and put it on Redstate.com. Can you imagine the furor that would happen?
February 28th, 2008 at 4:52 pmThey were promised bribes, dammit!
The GOP promised to allow telecoms to spy on every single American without cause or warrant in return for massive bribes, and the money hasn’t come through.
Hey, AT&T! Make with the payola, already, or the GOP might actually uphold the US Constitution again!
February 29th, 2008 at 11:32 am