White House Hoping Cosmetic Change Will Satisfy NSA Critics

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Here’s the latest on the NSA surveillance front:

National Security Council officials are scheduled to meet soon to discuss the issue of separating the leadership of the National Security Agency and Cyber Command….The administration is also discussing whether the NSA should be led by a civilian.

Officials said privately that the changes could help tamp the current furor over the NSA’s sweeping powers by narrowing the authorities assigned to its director. Because of heightened political sensitivities, what might ordinarily be an internal Defense Department policy matter is now being coordinated by the White House, said officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Um….no. Seriously. Just no. This won’t tamp down anything. It might be a good idea, but it’s not going to fool anyone into believing that the actual substance of NSA policy is changing. I’m afraid that will require changing the actual substance of NSA policy.