re: Patriot Act extension into a short term spending bill prior to the IG Report on FISA Abuse

As I understand it, the PA gives Intel the ability to listen in on communications that are assumed (by Law) to be private. Protections for abuse were supposedly installed in the process to cull out the truly bad actors like Narco-Gangs, Terrorists and Nation/States (China, North Korea, Iran, Russia, et al) who threaten us.

That is a very powerful and efficient tool to maintain our security. Our Adversaries will use it, it we don't.

So, damned if we do...damned if we don't.

The problem is not that we are going to lose our Freedom...it's inevitable that we will. In fact, those who trumpet the former form of Constitutional Freedom that we have long enjoyed, will be the ones to suspend it. And it's not because of the 'Mechanism'...it's because near 50% of our Electorate now embraces Global Authoritarian Socialist Ideology (Transnational Progressivism).

IMO, the REJECTION and NULLIFICATION of Democracy (pure version/"mob rule") is the 'elephant in the room'. Either the 'elephant' leaves the room...or it don't.