True, but in theory - to some extent - Congress has some oversight of the CIA and (again, in theory) the will of The People can influence the CIA's budget and authority, etc. All in all, I'd guess that CIA leadership would prefer people see them as benevolent guardians of peace and democracy as much as possible.

But I could be wrong. Maybe they are effectively untouchable, know it, and don't give a flap what people like us think. shrug