just not the kind of control that the majority of Americans desire
I'm not so sure. I think the President (who ever that is) typically wants to keep the country safe and the NSA wants to do the same and they think that they are doing it correctly. I think people want the to be safe and it's tough as the person who is actually President to cut off the means employed by the NSA and hope that you are correct and the ends will still be there knowing that if there were an attack it could easily be your decision that allowed it and all it's nasty side effects.
All that said, I'd personally like more court involvement. In particular, I see no reason the judicial process couldn't happen in a classified arena. If the lawyers had security clearances and all judges already do, then I see no reason they couldn't just have closed proceedings without juries, but at least have some oversight from an outside body.
Another viable option for checks would be an Inspector General, covered by the Inspector General act and so truly independent from the agency itself, who could issue reports to the President and Congress.