Perhaps that is why so many Democrats aborgated their oaths to the Constitution and stomped on the Fourth Amendment and gave telecoms like AT&T immunity for spying on Americans.

As the inimitable Glenn Greenwald writes: "This blogger has obtained an image of the very handsome welcome bag that every delegate and member of the media will receive upon arrival at the Democratic National Convention next month in Denver. Here is one side (in my view, the prettier side) of the bag:

"He has the other side here, and notes that there’s “no word on what will be in the bags yet.” If AT&T’s parents taught it any manners at all, that bag will runneth over with all sorts of fine items, as AT&T has much to be grateful for, both to the Party whose convention it is generously sponsoring and to the media stars who will be attending. How far are we away from both parties selling naming rights to the companies on whose behalf they so assiduously labor?

"With regard to the important question, let's hear from financier and lobbyist Steve Farber, the Chief Fundraiser for the Democratic National Convention: 

"Mr. Farber's vast contact list could prove crucial in raising the millions of dollars needed by the Denver host committee to showcase Senator Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in August in Denver. But Mr. Farber's activities are a public display of how corporate connections fuel politics -- exactly the type of special influence that Mr. Obama had pledged to expunge from politics when he said he would not accept donations from lobbyists. . . .

" 'Steve Farber is involved with a lot of high-level candidates and ones who have won,' said Floyd Ciruli, head of Ciruli Associates, a Denver political consulting firm. 'He's famous for hiring ex-politicians, their children and ex-judges. He's very good at making connections with people who have access to politicians'. . . .

"As a result of Mr. Farber's efforts, dozens of organizations have signed up as corporate sponsors of the Denver convention, including six that are lobbying clients of his firm: UnitedHealth Group, AT&T, Comcast, the National Association of Home Builders, Western Union and Google. In return for these donations, which can go up to $1 million or more, sponsors are promised prominent display space for corporate marketing and access to elected officials and Democratic leaders at a large number of parties and receptions."

For more on Mr. Farber and his ilk check out Greenwald's July 14 article.  Here is an excerpt:

"Although he is a Democrat, Mr. Farber's firm draws political talent from both sides of the aisle. Its lobbyists include Jim Nicholson, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee; former Senator Hank Brown, Republican of Colorado; and Judy Black, wife of Charlie Black, Senator John McCain's chief adviser, and a major bundler of donations for Mr.. McCain.

"That is the person financing the Democratic Party's Convention and ensuring access to the most powerful Democratic leaders. They're listening to everyone except you."

Of course, McCain's campaign is wallowing in lobbyists and corporate millions as is the RNC convention. 

But for the DNC convention to be sponsored, in part, by AT&T monies and their logos omnipresent in Denver so soon after Dems on Capitol Hill caved to Bush, the Republicans, and telecom money and voted for the despicable, anti-constitutional FISA bill, is wrong and sends a disgusting message to regular hardworking Americans and grassroots Democrats.