It is outrage porn. Utterly dysfunctional. And just as a cherry on top, a brilliant example of why the Patriot act had (has if you really, really believe hard enough) a sunset clause. If that clause had been allowed to take the normal and expected course we would not have any of this mess on our collective hands. This is no conspiracy, just the known magnetic properties of increased power at the national intelligence level.

Of course there will always be segments of each party that will happily ally with like minded fellows from thee other side who also want to expand or extend or renew extraordinary / temporary powers. They will usually outnumber those of us who just love a good sunset.

Did we really need all this FISA/Patriot Act stuff to beat a bunch of 11th century killers in a dirt poor country already bombed over time and again?
Really? Maybe but if so apparently the evidence is classified. As is the evidence that might give ordinary Americans standing in a possible legal action to see what the NSA/FBI actually keeps.