White House says phone wiretaps back on "for now"

WHITE HOUSE SAYS PHONE WIRETAPS BACK ON "FOR NOW"
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Stuart Grudgings]
The Bush administration said on Saturday U.S. telecommunications companies have agreed to cooperate "for the time being" with spy agencies' wiretaps, despite an ongoing battle between the White House and Congress over new terrorism surveillance legislation. On Friday U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell said telecommunications firms have been reluctant to cooperate with new wiretaps since six-month temporary legislation expired last weekend. As a result, they told Congress, spy agencies have missed intelligence. Democrats accused the Bush administration of fear-mongering and blamed it for any gaps. Democratic leaders of congressional intelligence and judiciary committees issued a statement on Friday saying they were committed to passing new legislation and urged President Bush to support an extension of the temporary law. President Bush has said he would hold out for a permanent overhaul of the 1978 surveillance law and said he would not compromise with the Democratic-led Congress on his demand that phone companies be shielded from lawsuits for taking part in his warrantless domestic spying program.
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2229053420080224

* Bush, Democrats clash on FISA
http://thehill.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71613&Itemi...

* Scare Tactics and Our Surveillance Bill
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Sen Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) & Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Reps Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) and John Conyers (D-MI)]
[Commentary] The chairmen of the House and Senate intelligence and judiciary committees show a united determination to "produce responsible legislation that will protect America and protect our Constitution. "
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/24/AR200802...
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