William F. Smith: “FISA Fix For Lawyers National Security: Wiretap law is supposed to protect the U.S. by discovering and foiling terrorist…”

“FISA Fix For Lawyers National Security: Wiretap law is supposed to protect the U.S. by discovering and foiling terrorist operations. Congressional Democrats seem to think its purpose is to line the pockets of their trial lawyer supporters. House Democrats want to enact a terrorist surveillance law that puts lawyers' fees before the safety of Americans. It's a bill so skewed that its passage on a vote scheduled for Thursday was questionable even to Democrats in the majority. At issue is the help given by telecom companies such as AT&T and Verizon in monitoring the telephone and Internet communications of suspected terrorists with contacts within the U.S. Those heroic firms have saved hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent lives with their cooperation in helping to obtain information that allowed law enforcement to prevent post-9/11 attacks. Congressional Democrats steadfastly refuse to protect those firms from lawsuits backed by the American Civil Liberties Union. Their message to those patriotic companies seems to be: You helped President Bush succeed at something we wanted to destroy him over, so now that we control Congress we're going to give you your well-deserved comeuppance.”