Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act was allowed to expire thanks to Rand Paul’s objection to Sunday’s proposed vote on the U.S.A. Freedom Act compromise passed by the House.  Some in the Republican party have predicted doom if this happened.  We’re now on day two of no Sec 215 and are still alive.  To be sure, this will be a short-lived victory, the Senate will eventually have its vote.    It is telling though that the Senate allowed the Act to expire at all.  My guess is that a good number of Senators did not agree with Karl Rove and Chris Christie that the sky was falling.  Truth is, Section 215 has had a negligible effect on our national security so far.  No doubt some in the Senate will sweat out the hours before ‘U.S.A. Freedom’ is passed, bringing back mass collection of our data.  It is possible that (God forbid) something bad could happen in the interim that the mass collection of data could have prevented.  If the past is any indication, it won’t.  What is for sure is that for now at least, our right to privacy is a little stronger.  Enjoy the feeling while it lasts.