Congress yesterday voted to approve the latest FISA bill, complete with immunity for AT&T, Verizon and Sprint for their participation in the Bush administration's controversial warrantless wiretapping program. The baby bells spent millions over the last few years lobbying to get this bill passed, so it's a huge victory for them. Not so much for civil libertarians, those concerned about money's influence on politics, or those who prefer some old fashioned checks and balances with their domestic surveillance.

A complete breakdown of who voted for the bill can be found here. As expected, Presidential hopeful Barack Obama voted for the bill in his quest to appeal to centrists. Hillary Clinton, traditionally lambasted for the same centrist tendencies, voted against the bill. John McCain did not vote. Though the bill is headed to the President's desk for signing, the American Civil Liberties Union plans to sue:All pending cases, including the EFF's case against AT&T will also now likely be summarily dismissed. The baby bells simply have to present documentation saying that "George Bush said it was ok" that they handed your complete phone and Internet data directly over to the NSA without any judicial oversight. Bush this week indicated that protecting phone company profits was the priority, and had repeatedly stated he'd veto any bill that updated FISA but did not include immediate telecom immunity.

Congratulations to lobbyists for AT&T, Verizon and Sprint: you win again.