You realize that FISA was being petty, denying and delaying wiretap requests at unprecedented rates? You also realize that congress was fully aware of all the details of these wiretaps, and approved NSA's doing them? And you realize that all the wiretaps *are* reviewed every 45 days, to determine whether there was any abuse?
Your fear is being fueled by your ignorance.
Year------Number of------Number of------Number of
-------------FISA------------FISA----------FISA
--------Applications----Applications----Applications
---------Presented--------Approved--------Rejected
1979------- 199------------- 207-------------- 0
1980------- 319------------- 322-------------- 0
1981------- 431------------- 433-------------- 0
1982------- 473------------- 475-------------- 0
1983------- 549------------- 549-------------- 0
1984------- 635------------- 635-------------- 0
1985------- 587------------- 587-------------- 0
1986------- 573------------- 573-------------- 0
1987------- 512------------- 512-------------- 0
1988------- 534------------- 534-------------- 0
1989------- 546------------- 546-------------- 0
1990------- 595------------- 595-------------- 0
1991------- 593------------- 593-------------- 0
1992------- 484------------- 484-------------- 0
1993------- 509------------- 509-------------- 0
1994------- 576------------- 576-------------- 0
1995------- 697------------- 697-------------- 0
1996------- 839------------- 839-------------- 0
1997------- 749------------- 748-------------- 0
1998------- 796------------- 796-------------- 0
1999------- 886------------- 880-------------- 0
2000------ 1005------------ 1012-------------- 0
2001------- 932------------- 934-------------- 0
2002------ 1228------------ 1228-------------- 0
2003------ 1727------------ 1724-------------- 4
2004------ 1758------------ 1754-------------- 0
It's not fear. I just don't like it and I'll be damned if I'll sit on the sidelines and rationalize why it's good for this administration to do it simply because they're waving the GOP banner. I wouldn't like it if it were the Clintons doing it and I don't like it now. Bush doesn't need any sycophants.