Bleating of the Lambs

Long silent in the face of administration reports to them, various legislators are now screaming that the NSA authorization to listen to the communications of those suspected of involvement with the jihadis when they end or originate in America is unlawful and an outrage.

Certainly, nobody could argue that the members of Congress have been silenced by the administration. They complain about anything and everything regardless of the merits of the complaint. So why was this so-called gross constitutional violation that some members of the loyal opposition feel is an impeachable offensive left unmentioned all this time?

Wasn't a single member of Congress who now professes to be shocked ready to risk the Bushstapo visit in the middle of the night to speak truth to power? Are they really saying that a news report timed to coincide with a book publishing is what it took to get their courage and conviction out of the blind trust they were placed in after 9-11? Or is their outrage over what they knew about all along and considered just fine newly manufactured at the urging of their MoveOn.org base?

Unless there is something more out there that indicates that the government listened in on domestic communications outside of the law, I don't see what the problem is. And given the silence of the lambs these last few years when they knew about the program, their sudden bleating is not persuasive to me that there is any "there" there.

And I say this as someone who is very aware that we must be vigilant to ensure that our civil liberties are not needlessy eroded to fight this war. Broad powers are never justified when focused and sunsetted provisions will work.

This seems properly narrow and with sufficient notice to Congress to pass muster.

Next plastic turkey, please.