Did you miss the new documents published yesterday? They've been all over HN today, and they contradict most everything Obama and the NSA have been saying for the past week.

I didn't find them very revelatory. It just seems like typical CYA spook paperwork. Regarding the government lying, I don't see how that is news, either.

The government spent the last week trying to convince the public that they never spy on U.S. citizens and do not store their data.

The documents are a direct authorization from the Attorney General for all the ways in which they are allowed to do exactly that.

Right, but why is that a surprise?

Because it's documented proof of their blatant lies to the public and to Congress. If that's not something big to you, I doubt there are any documents that can be released which will impress you.

I'd like to see more documents detailing how the system works, and specific instances of it being used to target american citizens. Something along the lines of the information eventually turned up about the Fast and Furious operation, or the Iran Contra affair. Right now it's just a powerpoint and a signed letter.

Who cares? Why is it a surprise to you that some people care about things that are fucking wrong even though they are hardly surprises?