If you believe that politicians control the bureaucracy rather than the other way around, then I respectfully disagree.
Bureaucrats have expertize, inertia, the ability to sabotage many things, long term stable positions, and care about how things actually are, rather than how they look to the average voter. In many cases, including this one IMO, politicians have the appearance of control, but very little actual latitude in practice.
For better or worse, I'm intimately familiar with the strange working of bureaucracies. Obama's presidency is a textbook example of a politician being consumed by intertia.
That said, politically originated policy turned the FISA Court into a Star Chamber making Supreme Court type decisions, and broadened the scope of NSA's role from spying on the Russians to spying on humanity.
Politicians can curtail those activities as well, either by making explicit policy changes, or by defunding things strategically. It requires courage.
Bureaucrats have expertize, inertia, the ability to sabotage many things, long term stable positions, and care about how things actually are, rather than how they look to the average voter. In many cases, including this one IMO, politicians have the appearance of control, but very little actual latitude in practice.
If you want a cruel but funny illustration of this, may I suggest that you read [http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Yes-Minister-ebook/dp/B00...] or watch [http://www.amazon.com/Open-Government/dp/B0015KOTY2] Yes Minister? It compellingly illustrate how an administration can manipulate a politician, what they call the "house training" of a minister.