I'm ONLY going to throw these two cents in and nothing more before this turns politically ugly real quick.
Obama's really in the position Hoover was. He inherited most of his problems, and the few things he's done the public doesn't like get blown up like mad and nothing else matters. It's the same shit every four years. The public loves the new guy, and as soon as he starts changing shit, they hate him, and bitch about him until his term's up. Then, another new guy comes along promoting change and everybody thinks he's real swell. And the process repeats.
As for privacy, that's been slowly ebbing away for decades. The invention of the Internet's just helped speed it up, is all. Limitless information flow and anonymity are as much of a curse as they are a blessing.
Regardless of who's pulling the strings or not pulling the strings, this whole thing's outrageous. Much as I hate to admit it, A-ty's right. It's only a matter of time before the top brass gives it the green light.