Senators Say White House Cut Deal With Panel on FISA Documents Said to Be Traded for Telecom Immunity

By Ellen Nakashima Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, October 23, 2007; A09

Senate Judiciary Committee members yesterday angrily accused the White House of allowing the Senate Intelligence Committee to review documents on its warrantless surveillance program in return for agreeing that telecommunications companies should get immunity from lawsuits.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), the ranking Republican, said any such agreement would be "unacceptable," signaling that legislation granting immunity to certain telecom carriers could run into trouble. Leahy and Specter demanded that the documents, which were provided only to the Intelligence Committee, be turned over to the Judiciary Committee as well.

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Take a deep breath, Pat.

What's all the palavering about? Christopher Dodd already said he's going to put a Senator's prerogative 'hold' on any bill that forgives telecoms their prior legal liabilities. That kills it. Done deal. Dead in the water.

Unless of course, someone has 'gotten to' Dodd.

Is that possible in the spic and span world of politics? Tune in next week, to see if our fearless leaders remain fearless or (by the rearrangement of a mere two letters) are suddenly feckless once again.

Feckless (adjective: Not fit to assume responsibility; Generally incompetent and ineffectual) is the dominant word in Congress since we voted the Democrats in.

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