A silver lining?
The Senate predictably caved today and passed the FISA reform bill, which included immunity for the telecommunications companies that had conspired with intelligence agencies to spy on Americans without warrant.
Bruce Afran, an attorney representing plaintiffs suing the telecom companies over their collaboration, described today's vote as "election-year cowardice." That's obviously true, and it's equally true that our civil liberties have suffered a non-trivial and probably long-lasting blow. The United States is a little less free today because of the spineless actions of Congress.
However, there may be one silver lining in all this: now that the telecommunications companies no longer face lawsuits for their (previously) illegal actions, they can be subpoenaed to testify before Congress in depth about their spying activities against Americans. Since they have immunity, they can no longer plead the Fifth when asked pointed, specific questions about their collusion.
The executives and technology specialists who implemented these illegal spying protocols need to be brought to some kind of public account for their despicable, un-American acts. With immunity, there's nothing stopping them from being forced to finally tell the truth.