Ahh, yes - if civil liberties are taking a back seat to profits, it must be a day ending in 'y'...

...This is the best argument for *not* granting retroactive immunity to telecoms for helping the Bush Admin with its illegal surveillance of America - their motivation to help was always mercenary in nature...

...From AP via Yahoo! News -

WASHINGTON - Telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps used to eavesdrop on suspected criminals because of the bureau's repeated failures to pay phone bills on time.

A Justice Department audit released Thursday blamed the lost connections on the FBI's lax oversight of money used in undercover investigations. Poor supervision of the program also allowed one agent to steal $25,000, the audit said.

So what's worse here - the continued lack of fiscal responsibility on the part of the Bush Administration, or the fact that telecoms are directly profiting from Bush's contempt for the Constitution?

At least the telecoms can no longer claim to be motivated by patriotism when they sell out our civil liberties...