In a 72-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Judge Vaughn Walker has rejected a request from U.S. director of intelligence John Negroponte to dismiss a lawsuit against AT&T, which alleges the firm illegally allowed the government to monitor phone conversations and e-mail communications as part of a domestic spying program acknowledged by President George W. Bush.

AT&T asked the court in late April to dismiss the case filed by the privacy rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is claiming the domestic surveillance program allows the government to eavesdrop on phone calls and read e-mails of millions of Americans without obtaining warrants and asking for an injunction to order the government to stop the program.

The U.S. government also asked the federal judge to dismiss the case, citing its state secrets privilege. Negroponte told the court in a filing that disclosing the information in the case "could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the United States."

But in his ruling, the judge wrote: "The very subject matter of this action is hardly a secret. Public disclosures by the government and AT&T indicate that AT&T is assisting the government to implement some kind of surveillance program. The compromise between liberty and security remains a difficult one. But dismissing this case at the outset would sacrifice liberty for no apparent enhancement of security."

Reuters: Judge Refuses to Dismiss AT&T Eavesdropping Lawsuit

One day after that ruling, BellSouth shareholders approved the sale of their company to AT&T for $67 billion in stock, a deal that would expand the reach of the nation's largest telecommunications provider and put the two companies' wireless joint venture under one roof.

A day after the deal was announced, AT&T said it plans to cut up to 10,000 jobs.

AT&T was formed by SBC's acquisition of AT&T in November. The deal added a substantial national reach to the former Southwestern Bell's local business, which is concentrated in 13 states, including Texas, California, and the Midwest. BellSouth is the dominant local telephone provider in nine Southeastern states.

BellSouth Chief Executive Duane Ackerman told shareholders once the deal is approved by federal regularors, the BellSouth and Cingular wireless names will be phased out.

He did not address questions about the potential liability AT&T may face with a pending multibillion dollar lawsuit over allegations some major phone companies gave customer data to the National Security Agency.

AP: BellSouth Shareholders OK Sale to AT&T

Both of these stories demonstrate that the Bush Republicans should be thrown out of office. American freedoms are being violated for no apparent increase in security. And AT&T is about to cobble back together the same monopoly in the telecommunications industry that the Reagan Justice Department broke up back in the 1980s.

Hello out there conservatives, libertarians and independents. How do you feel about this Republican Party now?