Sen. Wyden on NSA spying: it's as bad as you've been told

[Rattrap]

So the actual title is "Sen. Ron Wyden On NSA Spying: It’s As Bad As Snowden Says", but the article doesn't actually have anything to do with Snowden beyond that, so I didn't want things to get immediately redirected (there's been more than enough of that in the media - it's telling that I consistently see articles on Google News about Snowdown sitting in an airport doing...well, nothing, yet see little on the actual topic he's brought to the forefront). Anyway, enough of that...

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is on the Senate Intelligence Committee. This is a bit of a long read, but I think it's rather important if you value those rights/freedoms we Americans put so much pride into:
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Editor’s note: This is a transcript from a speech given on Tuesday, July 23, at the Center for American Progress in Washington.

When the Patriot Act was last reauthorized, I stood on the floor of the United States Senate and said, “I want to deliver a warning this afternoon. When the American people find out how their government has interpreted the Patriot Act, they are going to be stunned and they are going to be angry.”

Speeches like this make me reconsider my ban on voting for R's and D's. I'll be having a good hard look at Wyden's voting history when 2016 rolls around, in any case.