I am a little surprised that nobody else has thought of this.

[thucythucy]

57. I have been paying attention, thank you very much.

And what I've read says the NSA has been requesting metadata for analysis by an algorithmic computer program, not tapping millions of specific conversations--which seems to be what all the paranoia here is about. "Listening to my phone calls" "reading my e-mails" is not the same as "saving my metadata among millions of others' in order to determine if there are patterns (such as, I don't know, calls back and forth from Boston to Chechnya?) that indicate a possible cause for suspicion, whereupon a further, specific warrant is requested showing due cause for tapping, recording, or otherwise noting specific and individual conversations."

I think this alone is over reach by the NSA. And yes, it has me troubled, but it isn't the same thing as all the speculation, accusations, conspiracy woo, that I've seen thrown around these threads the last few days. If we're going to begin reining in the national security state, it has to be on the basis of facts, not wild rumor. Especially if those rumors and speculation feed into your standard Teabagger meme that Obama has unleashed the Stasi on us, that he's another Hitler or Stalin, that he's amassing information as a prelude to the Fourth Reich, and blah blah blah.

And I'm not in a "rage" about anything. "Rage" is people on this thread saying Senator Feinstein can take her "camera" and shove it up a DUer's ass. (So now it isn't just listening to millions of phone calls, now it's video recording people in their bathrooms). Rage is people declaring they will never again contribute to, work for, or vote for a Democratic candidate for the rest of their lives, based on what Snowden has "revealed." "Rage" is day after day of anti-Obama posts, and attacks on Senator Feinstein, and now Senator Frank, based, thus far, on little more than Snowden's word.

I notice, too, you haven't linked me to anything providing the information I requested, other than to say, "Snowden isn't the only one." This is par for the course. I've made this request multiple times now, and every response has been, "But others say it too!" Based on what? On what documentation? Who else is saying that the NSA is listening in to millions of phones, and recording the conversations?

And I'm not passing judgment. Look at my previous posts. Look at the post you just responded to. I'm saying I'm NOT going to get all bent out of shape and throw a fit at Democrats in general and President Obama in particular until we know more. Until we get other sources as to the details of Snowden's charges, aside from Snowden. Until we see more of the documents, assuming they exist. And for this I'm being accused of being "authoritarian," a non-Democrat, a violator of the Constitution, etc. etc.

BTW, even if I WERE enraged, it would be "Democratic rage" not "Democrat rage." It's the "Democratic Party," not the "Democrat Party." It's "Democratic Underground," not "Democrat Underground." If you're going to accuse someone of being an authoritarian who isn't very Democratic, it's probably best not to use a favorite authoritarian right-wing expression.