NSA Surveillance

How many US Citizens have had NSA listening in? Bush and Scott McClellan have said or implied this is a limited program. Today's Washington Post reported that the actual number is over one thousand with one analyst claiming 5,000. More importantly, the Post reports that almost all of the conversations failed to demonstrate any link to terrorism once NSA analyzed the conversations. Fewer than ten were worthy of further review. This never stopped Vice President Cheney from stating that the program "has saved thousands of lives."

Apparently the large activity is computer analysis of 'metadata', which is information associated with origin and destination of message, but does not contain content. This could be a rational for changing present FISA laws that the administration currently subverts. But they have put themselves into a position where, as usual, they cannot admit a mistake and, therefore, they may eventually lose the ability to use this program. Why they didn't request this when they had everyone's support, is ignorance, arrogance, or both.