Immunity

Time to contact your representatives and remind them that the reasons we sent them to Washington have nothing to do with enhancing their personal career prospects or fund-raising capability. Because it looks like they may have forgotten.

The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee hinted Sunday that a battle over an expired eavesdropping law might be moving toward a conclusion that gave phone companies the retroactive legal protections long sought by President Bush.

The chairman, Representative Silvestre Reyes, Democrat of Texas, said in an interview on CNN that the committee had been talking to the companies “because if we’re going to give them blanket immunity, we want to know and understand what it is we’re giving immunity for.”

Let me shed some light on that for Rep. Reyes: You are considering giving them immunity for helping the Bush administration to illegally and without warrants eavesdrop on our private communications.

Crooks and Liars has more, including these links to an online petition urging the House not to fold like the Senate did, as well as this link to contact information for your representatives.

Remember, they work for you. Tell them what they have to do if they want to continue working for you.