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When has anyone ever done a good job of ferreting out people who might not be worthy of a security clearance? The whole process reminds me of parole boards attempting to determine if a convict will be a recidivist. To be honest, no one can keep a secret, especially not members of Congress. Thus, compartmentalization is the best policy. If you don't want information divulged, don't divulge it. Granting security clearances willy-nilly (regardless of who is granting them) is like inviting people to join Facebook and then being surprised when everyone takes advantage of all the information you share on it.

There was a time when the background investigation process was exceptionally detailed, and the results worked quite well. However, as with all human systems while not perfect, it worked exceptionally well. Over the past 40 years successive changes, cultural shifts, requirements easing, end of the Cold War, legal changes, and other factors, shifted the focus, efficacy, and results. A complete vetting takes time and money — in the end it is fundamentally about the level of acceptable risk over cost; risk tolerance, and risk mitigation.