Congress tries to Get FISA straight

It looks like the House will pass up a telecom / wiretap bill that actually skates through the maze the President tried to set up. By giving the companies a way to prove the government told them to allow the wiretaps, it avoids giving them immunity from the law while letting them off  the hook.  Of course that means that some of the documentation that the administration broke the law will see the light of day.  My guess is that despite repeating over and over that the law is needed "right effin’ now" the President will veto it – giving his many speeches about the law the lie. Hmmmm.

Can’t Live With ‘Em, Can’t Live…

Nice:

Panel questions cost of contractors in war zones (3/12/08) — www.GovernmentExecutive.com
Geren disagreed with Murtha’s view that contractors cost more than soldiers because they do not receive long-term benefits, such as retirement and health care. Geren said that because of personnel reductions, the military could not conduct extended combat deployments without contractors. And he conceded that the Army did not do a good job of managing the rapid growth in contracts for the war in Iraq, but has created a command in Kuwait to control them.