Would we have been better off without these policies? I highly doubt it, if you have been reading or looking at nonbiased news outlets, you would have heard by now that useful information in foiling a possible attack on LA was gained through these policies. Like Ben has been saying, was this the correct way to go about getting this information, and could it have been gotten any other way? I really feel like the benefit here outweighs the price, you know, the whole end justifying the means cliche. I have a hard time believing we would be better off without this stuff, but you obviously don't. If and when Obama reverses the steps Bush took to ensure national security, we will surely see what the effect will be. I can only hope it is a good effect, because no matter who is president, I'd be devastated to see another thing like 9/11 happen. I was in 7th grade when the towers fell, pretty young, and even then I recognized how horrific the deed was. Lets all agree on one thing here. Throw your parties/ideologies aside for a second and acknowledge that you don't want to see something like that happen again.