[johnohara]

> The President sits at the top of the classification hierarchy.

Constitutionally, and in theory as Commander-In-Chief, perhaps. But in practice, it does not seem so. Worse yet, it's been reported the current President doesn't even bother to read the daily briefing as he doesn't trust it.

[handedness]

It's not an issue of theory-versus-practice.

You're conflating the classification system, established by EO and therefore by definition controlled by the Executive, with the classified products of intel agencies.

A particular POTUS's use (or lack thereof) of classified information has no bearing on the nature of the classification system.

[djwide]

I point that out a little bit when I refer to agencies being discouraged from sharing information. The CIA may be worried about losing HUMINT data to the NSA for example. You may be referring to them worrying about compartmentalizing the information away from the president as well which you are right happens to some extent now but shouldn't 'in theory'. Maybe it's a don't ask don't tell. I think Cheney blew the cover of an intel asset though.

[handedness]

> compartmentalizing the information away from the president as well which you are right happens to some extent now

This is nothing new, and has been happening since at least the 1940s, to multiple administrations from both parties. Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan...and that's just some of the instances which were publicly documented.

[SoftTalker]

And the last president couldn't comprehend it.

<shrug>