OK, I'm directed to this article in the Wapo, "Obama’s ‘outside experts’ for NSA review are former intel and White House staffers," and it echos many of my concerns with his proposed panel:
ABC reports that the Obama administration’s surveillance review panel will include former intelligence and White House staffers, including Michael Morell, Richard Clarke, Cass Sunstein and Peter Swire. An official announcement of the members of the panel is expected soon.
The review panel was first announced in a White House press conference on Aug. 9, when Obama said the administration would form “a high-level group of outside experts to review our entire intelligence and communications technologies.”
Privacy advocates aren’t happy with the composition of the group revealed so far. Some privacy groups believe that the White House will insist on all members having top secret clearances, effectively barring most independent privacy watchdogs from consideration for the panel.
OK, this is a valid point, and one which I'm inclined to agree with, particularly since they originally intended to have serial liar James Clapper run the panel.
But I'm torn on the photograph, and caption, included with the article:
Outside experts, you say?
My initial reaction was to find this very funny, but now, I am not so sure.
Should I be offended>