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The NSA in my opinion is a machine that like a gun can be used for a variety purposes and in a variety of ways. It’s a mistake to hold the NSA as the bogeyman when it’s Congress that’s essentially providing the marching orders and dollars to operate.

I'm going to disagree, slightly:
It's simply a mistake to allow the government, or any of its branches the sort of "general warrant" powers that the article cites. Yes, congress is providing funding (I'm not sure about the marching orders); but the blame problem is illustrated very well by the Federal Reserve: congress delegates its authority over the monetary policy, and disavows any responsibility for what the Federal Reserve does (while protecting, them)… it is the same with many enforcement & regulatory agencies, where the Congress commissions and funds them but when the policies are unpopular claim it's the Executive-branch's fault.

In the end, much of our current problems wouldn't exist if we actually followed the Constitution, for much of our Federal Government wouldn't exist if we did.