Reply #39: I think that there are two reasons for that

[grantcart]

1) It has to do with the history of Congressional capitulation going back to the IWR. This smells like it is massive betrayal and while it is disappointing I find the comparisons beyond ridiculous.

The warrantless spying was a purely theoretical abbrogation of the Constitution. The IWR led to hundreds of thousands of real people dying and 2 million refugees. This is a real event with real people suffering.
The internment of tens of thousands of Japanese was a real abrogation of the Constitution. The warrantless snooping of business records may have led to some anti terrorist leads but where are the real people that were prosecuting for what was found by the NSA?
This is not to excuse it but to put it into proportion. Those that equate it with the Iraqi war trivialize real crimes IMHO. The reason for the reaction has more to do with their disappointment in Congress failing on the IWR than the merits on this legislation.

2) It seems to me that DU has a sort of competition to be the purest in ideology and certain points become part of an almost 'holy grail' that if you have a question or disagreement with points to an ideological sell out.

Again this legislation is not a great bill but it is hardly the sell out that it is being painted as.