The telcom immunity bill has nothing to do with fighting terrorism. How do I know this? Because the Bush Administration asked for the ability to spy on American neighborhoods before 9/11

In a separate N.S.A. project, executives at a Denver phone carrier, Qwest, refused in early 2001 to give the agency access to their most localized communications switches, which primarily carry domestic calls, according to people aware of the request, which has not been previously reported. They say the arrangement could have permitted neighborhood-by-neighborhood surveillance of phone traffic without a court order, which alarmed them.

This bill is about nothing more than the formalization of Bush’s surveillance state. Starting almost from the moment the Bush Administration gained power, they demanded that the telecom companies allow them access to American’s private phone calls without oversight or a warrant. They wanted to be able to spy on the phone calls of anyone they felt like at any time they felt like without having to even pretend that what they were doing was based on reasonable suspicions of wrongdoing. It’s the kind of thing right wingers always told me I should abhor the Soviet Union for — constant spying on its own citizens. Now, of course, since Bush is doing it, it must somehow be good and the companies that rolled over for the Administration must be protected at all costs.

As worthless as Harry Reid is, there are still some Democrats that are trying to stop this disaster. And it is a disaster. The telecom companies have proven that they are quite willing to hand over our rights to any Administration that comes asking. Letting them get away with it guts the Constitution because it enshrines the principal that the businesses that do the government’s dirty work should be protected. It outsources tyranny, so to speak. Without effective means of making businesses pay for their lawlessness, the government has a perfect end run around the Constitution. Liberals (and, yes, it has to be mentioned that they are liberals. Moderates and conservatives are in the process of rolling over for this. It is important to note and remember who isn’t.) Chris Dodd, Ted Kennedy, and Russ Feingold are going to try and stop it. Go here to find out what you can do to try and help them.

UPDATE [tgirsch]: A message from Sen. Feingold on this issue is up at TPM.