Harry and the Patriot Act

I had the opportunity to watch the first half hour of Fox News Sunday. Condoleeza Rice and her response to Chris Wallace's questions came close, but only politically close enough. I find it frustrating to hear politicos almost answer as you would like only to miss by a beat.
Harry Reid was answering within the politico safe answer mode, however the extreme to which it is applied follows the last half decades Democratic strategy book. I hate to say it (not really), but the ends to which he goes to say nothing yet appear the opposite was and is extraordinary.Discussion of the Patriot Act of course took place only to have Harry place the blame squarely on the President for passing up the three month extension and rather let it die. I would understand this argument to a point were it someone other than Harry or others that sit cynically on his side of the aisle. Are Harry and friends speaking truthfully when they say that they are concerned with the Big Brother state? Are they truly that paranoid? Or are they just continuing to play the game they have since Clinton left office?Why do you suppose they think they can play that game? Why do you suppose they don't use the time allotted to actually offer assistance/ideas and true debate regarding their concerns? I think it is basically their lacking in understanding the true situation we are in and that politics as usual is fine. To me, that screams a total lack of understanding toward what we face or might face. If they cannot take the time to even look at or discuss this honestly, they have no business being in the business they are in.
Here is the Big Brother example Reid gave regarding the Patriot Act. I believe he said it was Christmas or New Years of last year in Las Vegas. The Federal government tracked credit cards, rooms, car rentals, etc (things along those lines) through the Act during that time. This he believes is Big Brother and is a great threat. Now don't get me wrong, I do realize there is room for abuse in any situation, but to take this as an example is and see it as with no doubt Big Brother is ludicrous.The government has a responsibility to protect the American people. If they cannot peruse this type of data for "flags," what can they? What are they going to do with it? Track all of us and tell us we shouldn't do this or that as Big Brother would do?Harry said, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Snappy tag line/sound byte, but unfortunately not true if some type of attach had taken place. He and they need to wake up and stop playing games. The Democratic oppositions interest is not the interest of the American people, it is only the interests of the Democratic party and getting and keeping power. They have nothing to offer but themselves, which isn't much.
Here is one small example of what information about you, I or anyone that is out there for businesses in this instance to use. Bancruptcy - certain info, especially the entire concept is likely something people would like to be, kept quiet, yet it is out there upon filing. Once someone files it is a public record. Businesses have the rights to get certain data about you so that I would expect they can see if they should bother doing business with you. Along with this, filers receive more credit card offers, loan offers etc. They know what car you drive and that you still are paying it off. You might then receiv an offer from a car dealership, to trade in the vehicle you may have filed in the claim and offer to sell you a new one. Granted, I don't know all the ins and outs on this, nor do I truly have a clue to its depth or non-depth. The bottom line is that info about us floats around day in and day out legally for business/industry to use. Why then is the govenment such a grave threat except to the paranoid?