October 22, 2007 (LPAC)--Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Arlen Specter (R-PA), the chairman and senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, have sent a new letter to the White House today, again demanding access to documents on the Administration's warrantless surveillance program, which are needed in order for the Senate Judiciary Committee to consider immunity for telecommunications companies which the White House is demanding. The White House had previously agreed to make the documents available by today.

Last week, Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee reportedly capitulated to the Administration's demand for retroactive immunity, while Specter and Leahy said that they must have access to the relevant information as to what the program was, before any immunity can be considered.

According to the Specter-Leahy letter, the White House is insisting that the Senate first agree to provide immunity, and then Senators could see the key documents. "That is unacceptable and would turn the legislative process upside down," the Leahy-Specter letter says.

The Wall Street Urinal, in its own commentary, warned that it would be dangerous to grant the telecommunications companies immunity for aiding the warrantless wiretap program after September 11, 2001, and it would still leave them vulnerable, since evidence had emerged indicating that communications companies were asked to hand over customer data by the NSA as early as February of 2001.