I wouldn’t be so sure of that. For national security reasons (at least under Bush), most “victories” against the terrorists probably wouldn’t be announced and trumpeted.
Leaving aside the merits for or against the Patriot Act extension, this is a huge embarassment for the GOP leadership in the House. They look like a bunch of bumbling amateurs who are not ready for prime time. Boehner, Cantor and McCarthy all have to wear this botched job. They better get their act together before they screw up something else. The Dems must be giddy at the prospect of being to twist these guys into knots with the House procedural rules.