yeah, bmaz, I think you’re right. But what worries me is that this may be a bipartisan issue–that Rockefeller, among others, is also compromised. But Pelosi seems to have decided she can hold this line, which is somewhat reassuring.

And time, time, time is on our side in this.

not so sure about that….

House Could Take Up Surveillance Legislation Next Week

House Democrats are planning floor action next week on a new version of contentious electronic surveillance legislation, but it remains unclear what the bill will contain.

“We don’t have agreement but … I am very hopeful that we will have legislation on the floor next week, “ House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer , D-Md., said on the floor Thursday in a colloquy with Minority Whip Roy Blunt , R-Mo.

if time is on our side and pelosi is holding the line, why is the house planning to rewrite their bill?

NSA works wherever AT&T does—and beyond

These companies already make substantial profits from competently running their businesses. They make considerable additional sums, eg, from commercializing – selling for use without restriction – individual household’s cable viewing patterns. Query what they do with VOIP and other personal data transmissions (apart from give copies to Uncle George).

What criteria would be used to grant differential access or to support differential pricing. A Bush regime would say any or none at all. Even a Democratic administration would be hard put to implement “reasonable” regulation. There’s been no education or debate because the neocons have made the whole notion of data ownership and privacy rights synonymous with “socialism” and off limits. (Unlike every other developed country, such as Canada, Japan, Australia, and the EU.)

As usual, where consumers are concerned, this government has things backwards. It concedes to private interests the unregulated right to an income stream without first sorting out whose competing interests are at risk. Kinda like telling a drug company to go ahead and market those chemicals without first asking about product quality or therapeutic purpose. Come to think of it, that’s exactly where this administration and its pet Supreme Court is taking us and the FDA.

We’re reverting to a Wild West culture, where the guy with the most cowhands and guns gets to do WTF he wants. Time for a little, um, government of the people, by the people and for the people. According to Honest Abe at Gettysburg, preserving that was worth one helluva lot of spilled blood.