CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin blasts Edward Snowden: I think it is a disgrace what he has done

[Tx4obama]

CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin blasts Edward Snowden: I think it is a disgrace what he has done

CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin on Monday ripped into the man responsible for leaking secret information about the National Security Agency’s surveillance program.

“Every 29-year-old who doesn’t agree with what the government is doing doesn’t get permission to break the law, damage national security, and then run off to China when he’s done,” Toobin said on CNN’s Situation Room. “I mean, it is not the way you protest in the United States. There are ways to do it. I’m not sure this government program is a good program, but stealing documents from the NSA and then turning them over to Glenn Greenwald is simply not the American way and I think it is a disgrace what he has done.”

Former CIA employee and current defense contractor Edward Snowden on Sunday admitted he was the one who leaked a secret court order to Guardian columnist Glenn Greenwald. The court order showed the NSA was amassing the telephone records of millions of Verizon customers.

Toobin also criticized Snowden’s decision to flee to China, where he has since gone missing.

“I mean, here is a guy who is concerned about free speech and he goes to China?” he remarked. “A country that represses more free speech in an hour than the United States does in a year?”

-snip-

Full article here: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/10/jeffrey-toobin-blasts-edward-snowden-i-think-it-is-a-disgrace-what-he-has-done/

[BeyondGeography]

2. Toobin only shoots the wounded

He never sticks his neck out. Another way of saying this story continues to fall apart. The Establishment is piling on.

[Lil Missy]

3. I agree. He deserves whatever punishment he gets for violating the law. n/t

[Beakybird]

4. I agree with Toobin

If Snowden had witnessed torture or a direct violation of law that affected people's safety, that would be one thing.

What he should have done if he was so concerned was to turn over the information to members of the intelligence committee.

I find the NSA data mining troublesome. If a program like that had proper oversight and a very limited mission, most of my concerns would be mitigated. I just don't think that it's right to reveal to the world including Al Qaeda our secrets and to give enemies of the US clues about how to get around our intelligence gatherers.

[Katashi_itto]

5. Toobin's wife is an executive at Verizon.

[66 dmhlt]

6. I, too, agree with Toobin

[fasttense]

7. If he's so concerned about law breakers, then why wasn't he screaming

about them during the bush administration? Seems Jeffrey Toobin only picks on the little guy to hold accountable to the law.

Why are so many so quick to attack whistle blowers in this country? Yet the crimes identified by whistle blowers are rarely punished.

[1StrongBlackMan]

12. Maybe, because …

So many are so quick to label Snowden a whistle-blower; rather than, someone that chose to disclose classified information regarding a program that had been congressional vetting and oversight, i.e., democratically enacted.

This does not define a whistle-blower.

[The Stranger]

8. Toobin in absolutely wrong on this one.

This isn't a simple "crime." This exposing what looks to be an extraordinary wresting of citizens' rights.

He can't simply ignore that and pretend that this is any run-of-the-mill crime. And he most certainly knows that it was in no way espionage. That's total fucking bullshit.

The existence of the program itself really can't be tied to any damage to national security. That it exists doesn't really help any enemies of the U.S.

On the contrary, what little value it is to any enemy is outweighed by its value and importance to nearly every citizen's basic fundamental rights -- the entire fucking nation -- and this is a comparison favoring exposure by orders of magnitude.

[pmorlan1]

9. LOL

Kathleen McClellan owned Toobin in that video. LOL

[Major Hogwash]

10. Toobin isn't usually this emotional about these issues but, he ripped into Snowden like a pit bull.

I have to admit it was fascinating to watch because Toobin really knows his stuff.

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. I was thinking along …

As one who practiced Civil Disobedience, the Civil Rights activists and anti-war activist, recognized that they were breaking the law and willingly paid the price. Apparently, we have detached rights from responsibilities

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101665807