Ray, the problem with your speculation that this is a non-story is that it is a story that we have all been waiting to break. Anyone who is paying attention knows this stuff is going on. The story is important because now we see how wide spread it is, and now we have people paying attention.
When Congress and Bush passed the Patriot Act, we all looked the other way. Personally, I didn't like it, but I thought that the initial version of the act, the things it actually did (not the way it evolved) were something one could argue were needed in the short term -- it was supposed to be temporary. I was very much against the second passing of the Patriot Act, and you have all seen me time and time again rail against anything that violates our Bill of Rights.
You have no right to be unconcerned about this. It is your duty to be concerned. You actually said you were not concerned about the loss of 4th Amendment rights -- you broke your oath.
It is not the media's issue. The leaks were from the White House. They are trying to blame the media for leaking their leaks. They illegally spied on the AP and others in order to try to prove their case. And when they were caught, they claimed it was in the name of tracking down leaks... the press doesn't leak. The press reports. The press has a right to release the leaks they get. There are very few instances where a court has limited the press in this freedom when the government has been able to show that someone's life is hanging directly in the balance.
You are seeing this all wrong. You have forgotten that the Constitution is designed to attempt to prevent this from happening, but it relies on people who, by their actions, keep it relevant and alive. We are not supposed to have "just a stream of data" taken from us in the name of security. To think otherwise is to forget your history. It is to assume it won't happen here. It is a tell that you are living in a bubble. It is a cheat on our future generations; because if it doesn't happen to us, it will happen to them -- someone will use this data for mal-intent, whether against an individual or on us as a whole.
To not understand this is to completely miss the entire reason for the Constitution and the Amendments in the first place.
And finally... where has this all important data stream actually done it's job in catching a terrorist? Outside of the U.S., it has happened a lot. (Which is why I do not mind warrantless taps on stuff going on outside our borders, yet was always wary of the slippery slope.) But when has it happened inside? Why did it not stop the Boston bombing with all of the Tweets and posts he made BEFORE the bombing? Why did it not stop him when Russia warned us about him?
atriot: 
