We Have Met the Enemy and He is Us

I am more afraid of over zealous government types than about what damage a terrorist could do in this country. The idea that millions of Americans are being monitored, even in a cursory way, is repugnant to me. I remember vaguely the harm that was done during the McCarthy era and I see a growing momentum in that direction again. The harm that may be done is when the government starts interpreting the data they obtain. We have seen also what happens when law enforcement makes up its mind about a person's guilt. What else is coming--people being spirited away in the middle of the night or grabbed off the streets never to be heard from again? It is happening apparently abroad and some accused of being terrorists are being held without due process in military prisons even now. We are in more danger from ourselves than from the terrorists.
Some lawmakers have stated they have been "briefed" about the NSA programs. To what extent have they been briefed? Like, did they see flow charts as to how the program works, the techniques involved, who actually have been monitored, how many, etc. The devil is in the details and I am almost certain that they have been briefed in generalities with many promises that everything is on the up and up and "legal". The President says so right? The same guy who bought into WMDs in Iraq.
Those being briefed are who? Partisan zealots of the administration maybe? Legislators who would support the administration under any circumstances? I have a lot of doubts and questions about this whole issue--and I don't see anyone asking them.