More FISA

I just want to add that telecom immunity is deeply objectionable, but the fact that it's become the focal point for both Republicans and Democrats is unfortunate. As far as the Democrats are concerned, I think they focus on immunity to keep the rift here stark and simple--immunity is the one White House demand that sticks out, more than all the others, as completely non-germane to national security. It's obviously corrupt.

I sympathize, but they should be able to explain why all the other unconstitutional stuff also ought to go.

But the Republicans--somewhat ironically, for reasons of their own--also want to keep the focus on what has to be the least politically appealing of their demands. That, I think, bespeaks less a fear that the other stuff--the stuff that tramples civil liberties--is politically risky, than it does an admission that they don't really care about what the law permits. The president has been fairly clear that he thinks he has the authority to do whatever he wants to do, legislative obstacles be damned. What he does not have the authority to do is arbitrarily absolve the telecommunications companies for their crimes. That's what he needs Congress to do. That's why all the propaganda.