Learning this factoid doesn’t disturb me any more than I already was about our National Emergency Nation. I quite doubt that very many folks with newly-minted clearances will be privy to much that the press does not already know in general. Perhaps they will see records in databases detailing who is under surveillance, but they won’t be told why.

I favor handing out as many clearances as possible. That way, there is a greater chance that someone will leak beside miscellaneous data, informative descriptions of how the security establishment wastes resources and compromises civil liberties by exceeding their authority as they expand missions and staff programs that make them look important. They are, after all, bureaucracies, such as Republicans love to hate – but not in this case. I say, expose their overreaching mendacity. Let the leaks begin!