Isn't it supposed to be legal for only Republicans to expose national secrets for political gain

Without facing legal consequences?

SAN FRANCISCO --A lawsuit alleging that Verizon Communications Inc. illegally turned over customer records as part of the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program should go forward because of a recent admission by the U.S. spy chief, lawyers argued Thursday.

In a newspaper interview published last week, National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell acknowledged that private-sector companies helped the government investigate suspected terrorists in a probe authorized by President Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Outrage over the eavesdropping tactics, including obtaining private telephone logs without a warrant, has led to some 50 lawsuits against telecommunications companies and the government, all of which are before U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco.

[snip]

McConnell did not identify specific companies that aided the government. However, he said in the interview with the El Paso Times of Texas that the companies that helped are being sued and risked going bankrupt if the litigation is successful and the government doesn't protect them.

It was his first public acknowledgment of the assistance of private companies in the NSA investigation.

Lawyers for Verizon customers seized on the comments during arguments Thursday before Walker. They said the quotes are enough to connect New York-based Verizon to the government probe, and undermine the government's assertion that confirming any relationship with companies would cause "exceptionally grave harm" to national security.

Update: Somehow this post needs Harry Potter doing the warrantlessly wiretapped Banana Phone!: