I've heard the argument that this is an effort to get some kind of "middle ground" before. The problem is there can be no middle ground here - only the illusion of one. Either law enforcement has the right to do X or they don't - if they are allowed to require a backdoor on skype, how could they not be allowed to require a backdoor anywhere?

The real scenario would be legislation justified with the argument "we want unlimited legal power but we promise to use it just a little" - and this kind of promise always turns out to be bogus.