From your own link-
So it's not just about the Executive branch, but Congress first & foremost. As I've offered & you choose to ignore, the Executive will use & try to keep any national security powers Congress grants. Period, no matter who's in the big chair.
4th amendment issues wrt electronic communication are in the process of being sorted out, with both Congress & the Executive coming down on what we both see as the wrong side of the issue.
It doesn't matter what the Executive wants if Congress allows the applicable statutes to expire- the Executive would have no legal grounds to continue, Constitutional issues aside. Only action by the Judiciary can alter that, action specifically disallowing what Congress intended when they gave questionable powers to the Executive.
I've agreed with the EFF when they offer that the judge should first view pertinent documentation in camera to determine if the govt's state secrets & national security claims are legit, and to determine if the plaintiff actually has standing, if they were, in fact, actually under surveillance.If the judge rules in favor of the EFF, then the govt will undoubtedly appeal, and legal wrangling will continue.
I do not support such surveillance, despite your claims that I do. I've pointed out that Congress can put an end to it by doing nothing, letting the supporting legislation expire. That seems unlikely, even though it's the right thing to do, for the reasons I've already laid out. Therefore, the legal battle will continue.
Which really has nearly nothing to do with the usual small southern town authorities getting all in the face of "undesirables" in "high crime areas"... like someplace a fine upstanding conservative citizen caught a whiff of marijuana smoke... where people who don't have air conditioning drink beer in public on the front porch, fer crissakes... where a person having more than one old car that won't run calls themselves a "collector"...