EMK Hits the Nail on the Head

From TNR:

(T)he fact that Bush was willing to let the law expire rather than compromise is telling--if reforming FISA isn't important enough for Bush to sacrifice immunity, then there's no reason for Democrats to unilaterally give in. Ted Kennedy had the most apt summary of the situation:

Think about what we’ve been hearing from the White House in this debate. The President has said that American lives will be sacrificed if Congress does not change FISA. But he has also said that he will veto any FISA bill that does not grant retroactive immunity. No immunity, no new FISA bill. So if we take the President at his word, he is willing to let Americans die to protect the phone companies.

--Josh Patashnik