It's the accountability, what they do with their room to roam. And their history is terrible, absolutely horrid, with devasting consequences. Without accountability, look at what secrets got out.

Remember Aldrich, Hanssen, Walkers, Pollard, et al. They didn't have secrets, yet those are used to justify no oversight, no accountability.

I saw an interview last night on some show where spokespeople for the intelligence agencies and the administration were constantly harping about secrecy, the need for secrets, not spilling the beans to an enemy.

That's used to cover up everything. For instance, has US security been compromised by any of the relevations about what the CIA, FBI and Bush Administration knew and when they knew it?

Seriously, are we less safe with the knowledge we have now? Have we compromised national security so far?

I don't think so, and yet that has been covered up. Only leaking out in dribs and drabs.

The reason they covered up under the guise of National Security is to

A: Saves the bureaucrats from embarrassment, and

B: Ram through legislation expanding unneeded police state powers.

No National Security.

I wouldn't care about their leash if they could be trusted. They can't. I wouldn't care about their leash if there could be trusted oversight. They BS the overseers.

The odd secret may get loose with effective oversight. Could happen. Without effective oversight, look what's happened.

Arf