From Kurt Eichenwald’s recent article: PRISM Isn’t Data Mining and Other Falsehoods in the N.S.A. “Scandal” | Vanity Fair

Much has been made of the fact that these approvals appear to be given frequently, with some saying the F.I.S.A. courts are just rubber stamps. I disagree; given the requirements for prior review and assessment at the top of the executive branch, a high approval rate for subpoenas would be expected. I’d be more concerned if they were frequently rejected, because that would signal the executive branch was probably attempting to abuse the system.