Senate Passes Bill to Expand U.S. Spying Powers

[actually, it allows the continuation of international surveillance {it's a NYT piece...}]

WASHINGTON — After more than a year of heated political wrangling, the Senate handed the White House a major victory Tuesday by voting to broaden the government’s spy powers after giving legal protection to phone companies that cooperated in President Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program.

The Senate rejected a series of amendments that would have restricted the government’s surveillance powers and eliminated immunity for the phone carriers, and it voted in convincing fashion — 69 to 29 — to end debate and bring the issue to a final vote. That vote on the overall billwas an almost identical 68 to 29.

[the House passed it without protection for the telecoms - it now has until this Friday to accept the Senate's version or the surveillance ends. BTW: which presidential candidate was among the 29 who voted against the bill? {hint: at least he didn't vote 'present' this time}]

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