In the states, it is quite common for congress to exempt itself from laws. One that comes to mind involves hiring practices, specifically the consideration of r

In the states, it is quite common for congress to exempt itself from laws. One that comes to mind involves hiring practices, specifically the consideration of race or gender. Now it seems hypocritical on the surface for congress to not play by the rules it sets for others, especially when talking about diversity in hiring. But keep in mind how anti-discrimination law works in the US. Usually someone who feels they were denied a job because of their outward appearance will complain to a government agency, such as the EEOC. In some cases, they will also file a lawsuit, which the government may join. One can imagine how much havoc a group of people could wreak by applying for congressional staff jobs, then suing when they weren't offered one. Discovery alone in discrimination cases takes months if not years. I think in the case of government surveillance, it might make more sense to pay more attention to those inside government - who historically have been the source of most successful coups d'etat - than to the proletariat. And one would think that a body such as parliament or us congress would welcome additional scrutiny -- at least to counter the perception that they are all crooks -- but such conjecture strays into political heresy, I fear.