Senate Brokers Truce With Bush on Domestic Spying

Senate Democrats and Republicans have brokered a deal on legislation regarding the White House domestic spying and wiretapping program—including a highly controversial grant of immunity to telecommunication companies that co-operated with warrantless wiretaps. The deal marks a victory for the White House because Democrats had to kill a House bill imposing tougher restrictions on government wiretapping, reports the Washington Post.

The immunity provision in the draft bill, which is backed by National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell, would wipe out a series of pending privacy lawsuits against telecommunications firms that handed over phone records to the feds. As for the jettisoned tougher provisions, "there's no reason officials should have to consult lawyers before listening in to terrorist communications," said a Republican lawmaker. (More White House stories.)