how are they going to play this off?

it turns out that the administration is data mining a much larger amount of traffic than they have admitted.

The use of similar data-mining operations by the Bush administration in
other contexts has raised strong objections, most notably in connection
with the Total Information Awareness system, developed by the Pentagon
for tracking terror suspects, and the Department of Homeland Security’s
Capps program for screening airline passengers. Both programs were
ultimately scrapped after public outcries over possible threats to
privacy and civil liberties.

i keep thinking of the word contempt. these guys are contemptuous of the laws and people of this country. i wonder how they are going to twist this one around to somehow look like they were justified in their behavior. perhaps i am overly cynical, but i bet some of these guys are secretly, in the back of their minds, praying for another terrorist attack.
it would buttress their claims and their actions that, in times like these, what is called for is dictatorial war powers for the executive office.