Recently, the Senate Intelligence Committee, working with the White House,  penned a bipartisan bill that would change the (quesitonably) legal NSA wiretapping process. Part of that bill seeks to retroactively immunize the phone and internet companies from legal action.

Also recently, the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator John “Jay” Rockefeller received a veritable explosion in donations from…telephone companies being sued due to cooperating with the NSA…

You do the math.

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Jan 17, 2006 – The ACLU and the Center for Constitutional Rights each, separately, sue the NSA over the wiretapping program.

May 2006 – The ACLU sues AT&T Corp. and Verizon Communications for sharing data with the NSA.

March 2007 – Top Verizon executives donate $23,500 to Senator Rockefeller. From 2001 through February 2007, Verizon executives had donated a total of $3750 to the Senator. Only one of 2007’s donating executive actually lives in Senator’s state, West Virginia.

April – June 2007 – Top AT&T executives donate $19,350 to Senator Rockefeller. Prior to April 2007, only one donation (of $300) had been made to the Senator from West Virginia. None of the donating represenatives actually live in West Virginia.

Oct 2007 – The Senate Intelligence Committee passed a bipartisan bill that immunizes various phone companies from legal repercussions and legalizes domestic wiretapping.

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Not looking good for democracy. But, the weaker dollar means that’s now cheaper than ever to buy your own legislation. Want to know who to “donate” to? Check OpenSecrets.org.

Data Source: Wired’s Threat Level