The Laws you can't see
Reading this article it suddenly became clear: FISA <i>is</i> an Executive Branch agency that defends executive actions, much like the DoJ. In other words, it <i>is</i> the DoJ. When it (at least) comes to the 4th Amendment, the executive branch has manipulated Section 215 of the Patriot managed to totally unchain itself from the Constitution and do whatever it wants, in secret, from both the public and the other branches of government.<p>The magnitude of this is stunning. Historically, the executive has unchained itself for brief periods for specific issues. I do not know of any attempt to unchain itself in perpetuity, and in secret.<p>The fact that anyone finds it the least defensible is even more stunning. I mean, even if you are for mass surveillance (and there are many who legitimately feel that way) surely you must be concerned that it was done without your knowledge or consent.<p>There are two paths to solving this problem, both of which result in striking down Section 215 of the Patriot Act: a court challenge (which the EFF is spear-heading) and an act of Congress (which is very unlikely given the lack of public awareness and uproar).<p>Personally, I would like to see an additional censure on Obama and all other executive, legislative, and judicia officials who abrogated their duty to protect the Constitution of the United States of America. It needs to be our harshest censure, to send a message to future administrations that secret coups will not be tolerated.