These Clowns Will Fuck You Up

The Bush Administration’s TelCos

clipped from ap.google.com WASHINGTON (AP) — Three telecommunications companies have declined to tell Congress whether they gave U.S. intelligence agencies access to Americans’ phone and computer records without court orders, citing White House objections and national security. Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell “formally invoked the state secrets privilege to prevent AT&T from either confirming or denying” any details about intelligence programs, AT&T general counsel Wayne Watts wrote in a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Qwest and Verizon also declined to answer, saying the federal government has prohibited them from providing information, discussing or referring to any classified intelligence activities. “Our company essentially finds itself caught in the middle of an oversight dispute between the Congress and the executive relating to government surveillance activities,” Watts wrote.

“Three telecos have declined to tell Congress. Citing White House objections.

Here, the Republican White House says it can use the state secrets privilege (normally something invoked in the courts, not in Congress) to prevent corporations from testifying before Congress.

Democratic Congress demands the right to inform itself about the subject matter on which it legislates, and the executive branch says “no – just do what we want.”

Will the Democratic Congress be as spineless as these 3 telcos?

Note, too, that the three telcos say “the federal government” has prohibited them from providing this information to Congress.

Has Congress removed itself from “the federal government” since we last checked?

Idiots.