When there were revelations during the Bush administration that the National Security Agency was conducting warrantless surveillance of phone calls and emails, Democrats generally opposed the NSA's practices on civil liberties grounds, while the Republicans was broadly supportive of it (although the libertarian contingent of the Republican Party had concerns about it). Less than a year ago, however, new revelations came out about NSA surveillance as a result of Edward Snowden's leaks, and this time the Right was deeply divided: establishment Republicans continued to support the surveillance practices of the NSA, whereas conservatives and the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party voiced concerns about whether the NSA was giving the government too much power.
Yet things seem to be different now; on Friday the Republican National Committee unanimously passed a “Resolution to Renounce the National Security Agency's Surveillance Program". So my question is, what led to establishment Republicans changing their opinion of NSA surveillance so dramatically, and when did this development occur?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You in Advance.