Also, now that telecommunications companies are contracting with customers to let family members and friends call one another free, the eavesdroppers will have the benefit of eavesdropping on each and every one of them, to piece together "evidence."

As near as I can tell, nothing in the bill the senate passed would prevent the NSA from eavesdropping on the communications of political opponents of the president, and political opponents of people the president supports who are seeking office – for U.S. senator, U.S. representative, state governor, whatever. Had that bill become law prior to the Nixon administration, when Congress asked Richard Nixon if he knew about the Watergate break-in, he would have had no reason to lie to Congress, since he had the right to obtain electronic communications on whomever he chose.