FISA history

Link from Glen about the FISA court and its history. (source: Electronic Privacy Information Center - EPIC! No, not that one.) Before 2003 it had NEVER denied the application. As Glen notes, it's crazy that the leftmost position in this debate is the defense of an institution even conservatives suspected as a danger to democracy. It

was considered to be one of the great threats to civil liberties, the very antithesis of how an open, democratic system of government ought to function. The FISA court was long the symbol of how severe are the incursions we've allowed into basic civil liberties and open government.

Glen goes on to describe the series of newspapers and public figures to cast doubt on it over the years. Good piece with broad context of current debate.