They are buying limousines in Washington. Lots of them. The number of government limousines increased by 73 percent during the first two years of the Obama administration. The official justification for the acquisition (with borrowed Chinese money) of all this rolling stock is “security.” Our bureaucrats, it seems, are not safe riding around in ordinary vehicles or, perish the thought, driving themselves to work. This, it seems, is especially true of those brave souls who toil at the State Department, which is where most of the limos have been put into service.

When is the last time you heard of an attempt on the undersecretary for economic, energy, and agricultural affairs? Or the special envoy for climate change? Is there a cabal somewhere secretly plotting to knock off the coordinator of reconstruction and stabilization?