The dishonesty here is so typical, yet so frustrating. McConnell just can't be bothered to defend anything on the merits, instead indulging in dishonest demagoguery.

The FISA bill is a classic tradeoff between liberty and security, a weakening of the protections we enjoy against government in exchange for increased protection against security threats. I don't think we get much, if any, benefit from shifting oversight of President Bush's eavesdropping from the FISA court to Attorney General Gonzales. And given that the administration -- and Gonzales in particular -- have politicized virtually every aspect of the executive branch, I think the threat to our liberty is significant.

Moreover, the tradeoff between security and liberty doesn't have to be that way. There are ways to design policies that respect both -- but neither the White House nor McConnell have any interest in pursuing those strategies, as they would be genuinely bipartisan, and wouldn't create any opportunities to attack Democrats.

Senator McConnell won't make the case that the FISA bill's diminution of liberty is worth the increased government power. He's not sincere, and he doesn't have the intellectual integrity to defend his bill on the merits. Instead, he attacks an absurd straw man, and ignores legitimate concerns.

Update, 8/16: Page One Kentucky has video, and smart analysis: "Note that there was no mention of rights as they relate to U.S. citizens. No mention that your communication with a friend in Chile will be tapped without a court order, either."