Bush poised for victory as US Congress nears approval of domestic wiretapping bill

George Bush is poised for a major victory this week as Congress nears final approval of a plan to provide legal immunity to private companies that aided government wiretapping as well as expand those spying powers. Debate on the wiretapping bill is slated to begin in the Senate today, with a vote expected by week's end. Although civil liberties groups and liberal activists have pressed Democrats to oppose the proposal, its approval is considered a near-certainty. The bill's most controversial provision gives legal immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the Bush administration monitor phone calls and emails without a court warrant in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The immunity debate has created particular headaches for Barack Obama, who last fall joined a group of liberal senators in blocking a separate... [read full story]