Rove Works to Frame FISA Immunity As Terror-Fighting

Karl Rove is working hard to make telecom immunity part of a new FISA bill this year. It's key to keeping the process by which the Bush Administration evaded the FISA law a secret, since it would prevent the telecoms from rolling on the Administration in court. By calling immunity a security issue, Rove wants to frame giving a free pass to telecoms as fighting terror, not as helping to hide civil liberties abuses. His recent speech to the RNC focused on immunity:

"Do they or do they not want our intelligence
agencies to be listening in on conversations
between terrorists in the Middle East who may be
plotting to hurt America?" Rove asked…

He urged the party officials to devise
communication strategies that find "creative and
sustaining ways" to "talk about these contrasts" . . .

Rove also said that withdrawing immunity for
telecom companies would "effectively gut" the
["Terrorist Surveillance"] program.

Glenn Greenwald points out that the Government -- under the old FISA -- is entirely able and fully authorized to "listen in on conversations between terrorists in the Middle East who may be plotting to hurt America." But, no matter, Rove will paint any resistance to total immunity for telecoms as unpatriotic.

Senator Chris Dodd continues to be prominent among Senate Democrats in his stance against immunity. Even while Majority Leader Reid and other Democratic Senate leaders are planning to allow immunity as part of a new FISA deal, Dodd still threatens to filibuster any attempt to do so.

Less courageous are the major Democratic presidential candidates. Neither of them have differentiated themselves on the issue from Senators who are reluctant to offend the well-funded telecom lobby.