Cheney Turns to Rush to Boost FISA
by Josh Gerstein
Wed, 30 Jan 2008 at 3:15 PM
Rush Limbaugh took a time-out from his lament over Tuesday's election results to take a call from Vice President Cheney. The veep was looking to pressure Congress to act on surveillance legislation that has been hung up over a provision that would give telephone companies immunity from about 40 pending lawsuits charging that the firms invaded customers' privacy by unlawfully giving information to the government.
"We do badly need this legislation," Mr. Cheney said. "It would be a tragedy if this authority weren't extended."
Mr. Cheney was unusually direct in acknowledging the work the companies did. "People... want to leave open the possibility that the trial lawyers can go after every company that may have helped. Those companies helped specifically at our request. They've done yeoman duty for the country," he said.
Mr. Cheney passed up a chance to bash the Democratic presidential candidates on the issue. "I don't know where they are on these issues. Generally they have not been as supportive." (Both Senators Clinton and Obama oppose the so-called retroactive immunity for the phone companies.) However, the conservative talker did get Mr. Cheney to lash out against elements in the press and the political world said to be downplaying the dangers America faces.
Limbaugh: ...It's the Politico.com. They say with Rudy Giuliani's defeat last night that the politics of 9/11 are finished, they're over, that nobody is going to succeed running on 9/11 and talks about the continued threat. Is this really part of an effort by some in the Senate to try and convince the American people we don't face a threat anymore and there no reason...to violate people's civil liberties.
Cheney: ...I think there are people out there frankly, Rush that don't like what we've done, that are opposed to the bold actions the tough decisions this president has made since 9/11. I think there were a lot of people who were panicky in the aftermath of 9/11and now that we've demonstrated our ability to defend the country for the last six and half years, they want to act as though there's no threat…..the fact of the matter is the threat is still there it still exists I look at it every day in the intelligence brief.
Mr. Cheney did not make clear why retroactive immunity is "essential" to the surveillance program "in terms of going forward." However, he denied intruding on people's rights. "We haven't violated anybody's civil liberties," he said.
Mr. Limbaugh made no real effort to draw Mr. Cheney out on the presidential race.
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