"Why, Yes, We're Illegally Snooping on You. So What?"

If you're surprised, you're a damn fool.

The documents concern a collaboration between the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and private companies to allow government monitoring of private Internet networks. Though the program initially only applied to defense contractors, an Executive Order issued by the Obama administration earlier this year expanded it to include other "critical infrastructure" industries. The documents obtained by EPIC also cited NSPD 54 as one source of authority for the program. NSPD 54 is a presidential directive issued under President Bush that EPIC is pursuing in separate FOIA litigation.  --EPIC quoted at Hit and Run

Obozo & Co. secretly promised AT&T (and others) that the Gummint would provide "2511 letters" for any illegal snooping, thus making it "legal."  It's not, but the pResident SAID it is, you see.

IOW, CYA.  Since AT&T (and others) are completely and entirely dependent on Gummint to operate (see FCC, among others), they had a reason--stark raving fear--to "cooperate."