The Congressional Research Service is well known in policy circles -- especially defense policy circles -- for writing some of the smartest, sanest analyses you could ever hope to get in Washington. Their reports are non-partisan. They present dissenting points of view. And they are unclassified -- meaning, everyone is allowed to read them.

Now, however, "in what is being characterized by subordinates as an act of 'managerial dementia,' the Director of the Congressional Research Service [Daniel Mulhollan] this week prohibited all public distribution of CRS products without prior approval from senior agency officials," Secrecy News says.

Sounds like a great way to facilitate making less informed decisions.. The trend of secrecy uber alles we have been seeing the past several years needs to stop.