Cybersecurity bill stopped by a senator who admits he can't use email

John McCain led the Republican opposition to block the cybersecurity bill that would have encouraged businesses to protect themselves from attacks.  The original version of the bill which would have required businesses to put safeguards in place was watered down to make them optional, then blocked all together.

McCain has admitted that his wife checks his email for him because he doesn't know how previously has sponsored legislation to end network neutrality and now has helped block this bill at the urging of the US Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Lieberman, the independent from Connecticut who is chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, and the bill’s other sponsors, including the committee’s ranking member Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, had worked for the past several years to pass cybersecurity legislation.

At a meeting last week, Mr. Lieberman got into an argument with Mr. McCain, his closest ally and friend in the Senate, about his opposition to the bill. Mr. Lieberman questioned why Mr. McCain was doing the bidding of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and what Mr. McCain would say if the nation was crippled by a cyberattack.

Mr. McCain angrily said his reputation on national security issues was unquestionable.

Putting short term greed ahead of long term national security seems very questionable to me.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/us/politics/cybersecurity-bill-blocked-by-gop-filibuster.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/johnmccain/2403704/John-McCain-technology-illiterate-doesnt-email-or-use-internet.html

Update:

In Silicon Valley, “regulation” is often treated like a four-letter word. But the Valley seems to have made an exception for cybersecurity, where a sort of Wild Wild West has taken hold.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/silicon-valley-sounds-off-on-failed-cybersecurity-legislation/