Philip Maddocks: Phone companies offer new red phone plan in exchange for immunity

Two of the country's major telephone carriers stepped forward to offer the White House a new calling plan for its red phone this week.

"We noticed from the commercial released last week by Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign that the red phone used in that spot was virtually identical to the one used in a 1984 commercial aired by the Walter Mondale presidential campaign - and we suspect they are on the same 25-year-old phone plan, which would explain a lot of the communication problems at the White House and on Capitol Hill. So we decided to offer our assistance," AT&T and Verizon wrote in a joint letter released through their lawyers.

The telephone carriers said they "were only too happy to help" as long as Congress agrees to legislation that would immunize the phone companies from at least 40 lawsuits that allege their actions after 9/11 violated privacy laws.

"We think it's a small price to pay for a better phone plan that could save the country and its family and friends billions - perhaps even trillions - of dollars in savings," the companies wrote in their letter.

The offer made by the phone companies prompted President Bush to renew his appeal for granting them immunity.

"They're getting sued for billions of dollars and it's not fair. That money should go to the government, not the private sector" Mr. Bush complained.

To help make his point, the president cited the testimony at last week's Joint Economic Committee. At the committee's public examination of the costs of the war, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said he believes the overall price tag for the war will reach $3 trillion

"This is literally a call to action for the country," Mr. Bush said, "and when you need to do something about your calls, where better to go than the phone companies?"

Mr. Bush said he believed the new "Axis of Evil" calling plan being offered the White House would save billions of dollars in phone bills in his office alone.

"And God knows what it will do for the CIA, FBI, NSA, and Cheney's bunker phone," the president added.

Under the "Axis" plan, the caller has unlimited minutes for calls made to or received from a hostile government or group.

Though the U.S. is running short on allies these days, Mr. Bush said he was confident his administration, even in its final year, could still turn a few of this country's remaining friends against it in the interest of saving more on phone bills.

"We have a history of trying to go it alone, and with this new phone plan as an incentive, that, frankly, should be our goal," said the president.

Sen. John McCain, the Republican candidate for president, said he supported Mr. Bush's strategy of "a surge on our allies" and promised, if elected, to follow the phone cost savings "to the gates of hell, if necessary."

Sen. Barack Obama, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, took issue with the Bush and McCain argument.

"In a dangerous world of hidden phone charges, it is judgment that counts," said Mr. Obama.

"I don't think these plans will work this time, because the question is not about picking up the phone," Mr. Obama added. "The question is what kind of judgment will you exercise when you pick up that phone? If it rings at 3 a.m., I'm going to pick it up because it isn't going to cost me anything no matter who is calling. That same call at 9 a.m., I might think twice about picking it up."

Mrs. Clinton said she was sure Mr. Obama had a pretty ring tone on his phone that sounded real nice when it rang but she was the one who had been battle-tested and would be ready to answer that red phone on day one, no matter what the ring tone.

"I have spent my entire life choosing phone plans," she said. "I know what it takes. When your kids are asleep, you can trust me to answer the phone. I have a proven track record."

While lawyers for AT&T and Verizon said they could not reveal the details of its classified Axis of Evil phone plan to the president or anyone else, it did assure lawmakers that there was nothing illegal or unconstitutional about it.

"And those of you with legal concerns," the phone companies wrote in their letter, "may want to look into our Executive Privilege plan, which offers blanket immunity against any legal charges to the user."

Philip Maddocks can be reached at pmaddock@cnc.com.