Well, my guess is that rolling_stone means to demonstrate they are qualified to speak on TSA-relates issues with some expertise, from a TSA perspective. If so, I would certainly agree - eight years on the inside would give anyone a lot of insight into both the agency's operations and mindset of the screeners and supervisors at the checkpoint.

I would argue, however, that eight years on the inside would also tend to compromise one's ability to speak objectively about the agency, and would certainly invalidate one's ability to look at the agency from the perspective of the average traveler, a member of the general public, or even non-TSA airport workers. Just as my experiences would not enable me to see things from the perspective of a TSA screener or supervisor, since I've never worked for the agency.