Telecom Immunity: Criminality cannot be government policy

The Bush Administration has performed criminal acts for  seven years now. From torture and illegal wiretaps to awarding no-bid contracts and faking information to undertake pre-emptive wars, the present Administration has not been ‘Presidential’ by any standards.

Criminality is not a policy option. Yet the Bush Administration has enshrined the concept into mainstream America.  Our government is officially criminal when it does not obey the laws of the land and the Constitution of the United States. When the government enables business involvement in criminal actions, it is a sign that honorable and responsible government has dissolved. And when the members of government seek to protect themselves and their cohorts from criminal prosecution with laws, they are mocking ‘we the people’ with the very law they have undermined for over seven years.

Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer’s ‘negotiations’ with the telecoms seeks to immunize the telecoms from criminal actions and behaviors. This act by itself removes any doubt that corporations can commit illegality at the President’s request. It is amazing to know that rest of the Congress will support it. The truly shocking part is that the opposition party that holds a majority in Congress supports it. The pigs and the farmers are now living together and running the farm jointly. We should be afraid.

If Congress can spend more time talking about steroids than criminality and more time on brain dead Florida women than illegality, we have a corrupt government that is playing to the crowd instead of tending to the Nation’s business. It is time to hold them accountable for their actions. Impeachment is an option. Shunning is an option. Protesting is an option. What is your method for presenting Pelosi, Bush, and Cheney with your indignation? 

I call for all citizens to support Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Russ Feingold in their efforts to forestall this bill.

Here are the Senators that voted against cloture on this bill: (h/t Glenn Greenwald)

  The 15 Senators voting to block the bill: Biden (D-DE) – Boxer (D-CA) – Brown (D-OH) – Cantwell (D-WA) – Dodd (D-CT) – Durbin (D-IL) – Feingold (D-WI) – Harkin (D-IA) – Kerry (D-MA) – Lautenberg (D-NJ) – Leahy (D-VT) – Menendez (D-NJ) – Sanders (I-VT) – Schumer (D-NY) – Wyden (D-OR).

Clinton, Obama, Kennedy, Byrd and McCain were all missing.

Will the US media ‘non-report’ both Dodd’s and Feingold’s speeches in Congress? Probably. But you can  bet that the Greenwald has it all. (Watch Feingold’s video to see a statesman in action.)

 Do something today about this.