This is congressional overseeing in the same sense that Col. Klink and Sgt. Schulz were guarding a POW camp. — Tam, talking about how Congress must draw information out of the agencies it oversees, rather than the agencies just being open, honest, and forthcoming.

Here’s the deal, folks.  We’re all supposed to be on the same team.  Yes, I know that no branch of government likes the others ‘meddling’ in their business, but that’s the way it’s supposed to be.  The President orders the NSA, the DOD, the IRS, or the EIEIO to do such and such.  The agency in question then comes up with what resources are necessary to do such and such, and takes that to Congress for budgeting and oversight purposes.  Congress is supposed to be given all of the necessary information for them to make a good decision on legislation and oversight, not just what they can think to ask about.  If what the agency is doing or plans to do comports with A) the Constitution, B) existing legislation, and C) the will of Congress’ constituents, then the Congressmen are supposed to approve the funding to do it.  If it doesn’t, then they tell the agency to go back and try to come up with something that fits those criteria.  Executive branch agencies aren’t supposed to do things that they aren’t willing to tell Congress about, and the Congress isn’t supposed to play politics with the truth.  Sadly, at least since the Nixon administration, and possibly for much longer than that, that’s what we have.

Oh, and by the way, a very wise government lawyer once told me that ‘need to know’ and ‘classification’ stop working when you start testifying to Congress.  Congressmen and Senators, by reason of their position, automatically have a need to know.  Hiding behind “that’s classified” and “Senator Blotarski doesn’t have a need to know” should be a way to get yourself thrown into a federal lock-up.