Arlen Specter, the quisling Pennsylvania Republican, has done it again. Again.
Specter was "Snarlin'Arlen" last month when he said he would demand that the CEOs of Verizon, AT&T and BellSouth appear before his Judiciary Committee. This was prompted by the giant telecoms climbing into bed with the National Security Agency and agreeing to share dope on their customers for its domestic spying program. For money.
But as has too often been the case, Specter is "Wafflin' Arlen" this month.
First he cut a deal with committee conservatives that would defang its investigation into the legality of the NSA program. Now he is deferring on whether the telecom execs should be required to testify.
The reason, according to those ubiquitous informed sources, is that the telecoms have been told by somebody – the White House, the NSA, who knows? – that they would not be allowed to provide any info about the spying program.