Coming out of the West, to save the day? Montana, New Mexico, Hawaii, Oregon, Wisconsin, Illinois, and yes, Vermont have Democratic Senators at work on this issue.

The Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools In Counterterrorism Efforts (JUSTICE) Act would reform the USA PATRIOT Act, the FISA Amendments Act and other surveillance authorities to protect Americans’ constitutional rights, while preserving the powers of our government to fight terrorism.

It's possible the Democratic majority in the Senate has decided to act on this now out of real conviction. Feingold, IIRC, has long disliked the USA PATRIOT Act and the FISA legislation; telecom immunity may be on the chopping block if this bill gets traction. Furthermore, there's support for this revision to the odious regulations rammed down our national throats by the w/dick administration in the aftermath of 11 September 2001.

One of my big gripes about the current administration has been how slowly it has moved, in my opinion, on major issues of Constitutional government :
this step by the Democratic Senators co-sponsoring this bill is proof that should a Democratic President choose to do so, foot-dragging appeasement can be cast aside. Would that the Senate would get behind shutting down the entire system of torturing POWs, either with US military personnel or with contractor/mercenary personnel in secret locations, as well as the US-military-run prison camp in Cuba, whence the detainees are not being freed despite US federal judges' orders to do so and the operations of which this administration apparently seeks to move to Bagram.

I'll rant and rave about other subjects with which I have found the new administration's actions or lack thereof disappointing in detail later. For now I'll just list some of them and ask y'all to add to the list as you see fit:

Not prosecuting Bush administration officials who "legitimated" torture

Not getting our troops the hell out of Iraq already

Not dealing effectively with the ongoing threat that is Osama bin Laden

Not supporting a woman's right to control her own body

Not advancing "Medicare for All" as health care reform, instead of kowtowing to the corporate insurance behemoths

Not moving fast enough to regulate Wall Street

Not clawing back the "bonuses" handed out with bailout dollars

Not bringing back the Fairness Doctrine so that we can get more than the Fox/Limbaugh view on the airwaves

Not standing up for the Constitutional separation between church and state

Not advancing fast enough on fully funding VA programs to provide real health care, real educational assistance, real housing and transportation assistance, and real treatment for PTSD and combat-related illnesses and injuries to US veterans.

Okay, that's my list. What's on yours?