GOP on the Protect America Act

Click for the GOP ad over at Youtube

One of the key provisions, which the GOP fought to be included in this act, is retroactive immunity for any illegal acts communication giants such as AT&T may have done when handing over your private data to the government without a warrant.

Those companies are already protected against anything they did that's legal.

Those companies are already protected against anything they handed over with a warrant.

So, what's the urgency of that provision? Hmmm? The commercial doesn't seem to cover that question.

Well, here's one theory. It's a little bit rude, but if you have anything better, just say so.

This act would invalidate existing lawsuits against the putatively illegal actions of these telephone companies. In doing so, it would stop the pre-trial discovery in those cases, discovery which would help sort out whistleblowers's contentions that the illegal warrantless wiretaps predate the 9/11 attacks.

When the GOP brings "24" sensibilities and minor chords to selling you on the idea that it is trying to Protect America, perhaps you should ask yourself if that is really what, or who, they're trying to protect.