[Gene Eric]

There are no doubt plenty of areas that require attention and correction. I will not vilify the NSA, however — which is not to say I’m endorsing the exposure of privacy.

The threats exist. They must be identified. Something should be done to isolate identities requiring warrants for exposure. Since Congress is a complete failure on this matter, a private sector consortium should be established to help balance the concerns of privacy with security.

[freeandfreezing]

There is certainly an important and legitimate role for intelligence gathering. However it appears the NSA has gone beyond the type of data collection which is appropriate, and that is likely in the long run to damage our security more than the value of the information they sought to gather.

The point of my post was to show exactly how bad the situation is. If the NSA is sending out spokespeople who think that the public will buy the idea that even though they have the IP addresses, From: and To: fields of an email they don't know the identity of the parties, they have deeply flawed thinking. Telling lies to the electorate won't save their budget.