The front page of the Washington Post declares: “the exposure of hundreds of pages of previously classified NSA documents indicate that public assertions about these programs by senior U.S. officials have also often been misleading, erroneous or simply false.”

Since those of us outside of government have no way to independently verify what we’re told about domestic surveillance programs, every lie makes it tougher to swallow that whole “trust me” line.

The article features a sample of some of that tough congressional oversight and scrutiny that we’re constantly hearing about:

Jane Harman, a former ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said that speaking about secret programs can be a “minefield” for public officials.

“Are people deliberately misleading other people? I suppose it can happen,” Harman said in an interview. Facts can be obscured through “selective declassification that means you put out some pieces but not others,” she said. “But I assume most people are acting in good faith.”

Reassuring to know that the former ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee recognizes that it is theoretically possible for espionage professionals to lie.

California governor Jerry Brown has set the schedule for the special House election in the 36th congressional district, where Jane Harman retired.

There will be a “special primary” May 17. All candidates, both party members and independents, participate in the nonpartisan primary. If one candidate receives a majority of the primary vote, that candidate is the new representative. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to a July 12 “special general election.”

At this moment, the field is crowded. Democrats running include Secretary of State Debra Bowers, Los Angeles city councilwoman Janice Hahn, Mark Contreras, Mervin Evans, Loraine Goodwin, Matt Peterson, and Marcy Winograd.

On the GOP side, declared candidates include Hermosa Beach city councilman Patrick “Kit” Bobko, Redondo Beach mayor Mike Gin, and Redondo Beach city attorney Mike Webb.

In Jane Harman’s district in California, at least one Republican officeholder is throwing his hat in the ring:

Redondo Beach City Attorney Mike Webb officially announced today that he will seek the congressional seat being vacated by long-term incumbent Jane Harman. The 36th Congressional District runs from the Los Angeles harbor through the greater South Bay area and reached up to west Los Angeles. Harman is expected to officially resign next week. Governor Jerry Brown will then call a special election to fill the remainder of Harman’s term.

Democrats who have announced bids for the seat include Secretary of State Debra Bowen, Mervin Evans, and Los Angeles city councilwoman Janice Hahn.

The demographics of California’s 36th congressional district mean Republicans will have an uphill climb in the special election to replace the suddenly retiring Jane Harman, but the GOP has some interesting prospects:

Redondo Beach City Attorney Mike Webb said yesterday he is “strongly considering” running for the seat.

The 48-year-old former prosecutor cited his lifelong ties to the district and experience on anti-terrorism advisory panels and initiatives as qualifications for running for the open seat. As for viability to mount a run in the Democratic-held district, Webb noted that he has broken local fundraising records in his six years as city attorney.

“I’ve lived most of my life in the South Bay,” the Redondo Beach resident said. “I think that given the issues that we’re facing, (the district’s voters) clearly are well suited for a Republican given the fact that (the government is) just spending more money than we take in.”

Nathan Mintz, last year’s Republican nominee in the overlapping 53rd Assembly District, said yesterday he is “still collecting information and haven’t made any decisions.”

The 27-year-old aerospace engineer lost a November contest to now Democratic Assemblywoman Betsy Butler, of Marina del Rey. The then first-time candidate made a strong showing in the Democratic district, coming within seven points of Butler.

Rep. Jane Harman, California Democrat, is expected to announce her imminent retirement to become president of the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington.

This will open up a special House election, presuming the state of California can afford one. Harman’s seat is a reliably Democrat district, however, and redistricting is unlikely to make it any more competitive. It is currently scored D+12 in the Cook Partisan Voting Index; Obama won it by 30 percentage points. In 2010, Harman won 59.7 percent to Republican Mattie Fein’s 34.7 percent. The Libertarian candidate, Herb Peters, took 5.6 percent.

In a special election, anything can happen; look at Scott Brown in Massachusetts and Charles Djou in Hawaii, etc.

Ironically, as of noon, there is no word about this news on the site of Newsweek, which is owned by Harman’s husband, Sidney Harman.