My thoughts exactly. This seems like a preemptive PR tactic by Google. Think about it. If this is bill is ultimately passed, then Google is playing it smart by taking this stance now -- to help them look more innocent later - when they inevitably roll over and comply with the US gov't.

Google does not need that kind of PR.

For hackerdom at least, it's good PR. Consider Sony's case, they might have shut out a large number of talented people by the way they handled the PS3 hacking affair.

The difference is that Sony's pr was negative. And while an absence of a statement on the legislation might disappoint some people, I doubt it would actively shut out a lot of talented hackers.