The Washington Post is reporting this afternoon that various telephone companies have cut off FBI wiretaps when the bureau failed to pay its bills, one as high as $66,000.

The FBI, which has trouble keeping track of guns, computers and evidence, pleaded administrative incompetence.

So, either:

Telephone companies don’t mind unconstitutional breaches of citizens’ rights, as long as the police state pays for the breach, but if they don’t pay, the line goes dead.

– Or –

Telephone companies feel it’s their patriotic duty to help fight terrorists -even if a few civil liberties get trampled along the way – unless the FBI fails to pay up, in which case the line goes dead.

All those evil thoughts you’ve had about phone companies over the years? They were far too kind.