Nick Gillespie: The Two Cases Used to Justify NSA Surveillance Don't Do Anything of the Kind

Defenders of massive, secret surveillance programs conducted by the National Security Agency and other parts of the goverment say they're in a bind.

"The instances where this has produced good—has disrupted plots, prevented terrorist attacks—is all classified," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on This Week this past Sunday. Then she and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) invoked two particular cases that they say demonstrate exactly how ubiquitous surveillance of phone and Internet data is absolutely central to keeping Americans safe.

The only problem is that the two cases they invoked—one involving a federal drug informant—do nothing of the kind, argues Nick Gillespie.