Update [2006-5-12 20:33:57 by btyarbro]:: Apparently this whole spying scam is more complicated (and worse) than we thought. For details from Greg Palast, read this. Here's an excerpt:

You should be more concerned that they are linking this info to your medical records, your bill purchases and your entire personal profile including, not incidentally, your voting registration. Five years ago, I discovered that ChoicePoint had already gathered 16 billion data files on Americans -- and I know they've expanded their ops at an explosive rate. They are paid to keep an eye on you -- because the FBI can't. For the government to collect this stuff is against the law unless you're suspected of a crime. (The law in question is the Constitution.) But ChoicePoint can collect if for "commercial" purchases -- and under the Bush Administration's suspect reading of the Patriot Act -- our domestic spying apparatchiks can then BUY the info from ChoicePoint.

The furor over the secret, cooperative effort among three telephone companies (hats off to Quest, who defied the request) and the Bush Administration to surveil tens of millions of Americans' phone calls is just beginning. Yet it is another indication of a government gone wrong.  Perhaps that partly explains Bush's new 29% low in the polls, but it also indicates another disturbing trend within this most secretive of U.S. Administrations.

Despite a recent poll that a majority of Americans approve of the NSA spying program  , as usual, Americans don't have enough information on the program, yet:  

The survey results reflect initial public reaction to the NSA program. Those views that could change or deepen as more details about the effort become known over the next few days.

The Republicans want to protect Americans from bioterrorism and natural disease threats. Yet scientific organizations, including the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology and the media are critical of the government's proposed legislation. And for very good reasons as reported by the Atlanta Journal Constitution