...and none to adequately express "big wank at taxpayer's expense".

ESC will have to do.

"a TC reference in the article"

What, where, who, when how?"

That the National Security Agency has governance over a cyber-defense initiative will be more or less irrelevant due to defense budget cuts. Unintended consequences are involved: when people hear "defense budget" they automatically think planes, bombs, tanks, and infantrymen. What is not thought about is funding for other Department of Defense programs. In particular, cuts have apparently affected the Information Assurance Scholarship program, which provides academic funding for incoming IAS personnel; we will have the programs, but will lack the talent.

Paris, also lacking talent, but that is just as irrelevant.