I guess that's the part I don't agree with, even though I understand the mistrust of government.
Right now the government has the "ability" to do many many things that would be really bad. All that keeps them from doing those bad things are people in power that don't take advantage of that power.
You don't want them to have the phone records because of what they might do with them. But to take that argument seriously, I don't want Verizon to even HAVE the records either, because, as you would say, you don't know what illegal thing the government MIGHT do, like break into the Verizon computers and steal the information.
The point is, once you presume that the government will act illegally, you might as well give up, because whatever you deny them legally they can just do illegally.
I'm saying that I see a good enough use for these records, and nothing of an aasault on my freedom from the mere EXISTANCE of the records, that I want the government to have that database.
If they use it improperly or illegally, I'll be right with you protesting. But taking away a powerful tool of protection simply because of fear that someone will, at some future time, use it for evil doesn't persuade me.
Some said the same thing when we developed the atom bomb -- we shouldn't do it, because someone will someday use it for evil purposes. But those who want to use it for evil purposes won't NOT do it because they have to take some other evil step first.
It's like criminals and guns. If we made it illegal to own guns, some say, it would deter gun crime. But the rational response is that people who are criminals won't obey the law preventing them from owning the weapon.
And a person in government willing to use the database for illegal purposes won't be deterred by the fact that getting the data is illegal.
Such as the Clintons? That wasn't long ago, and it could happen again.
And there are two other things that keep them from taking advantage of power - the Constitution (or at least what is left of it), and the resistance of the people to potential abuses of power.