While not the biggest issue discussed, and unfortunately asked as sort of a gotcha question, the responses to the Snowden question may have differentiated among the Dem candidates as well as any other.
Here's the question:
Is former National Security Agency contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden a hero for revealing the American government’s massive surveillance program or a traitor who betrayed his own country?
Here are their answers:
Chafee:
"I would bring him home. What he did was show the American government was acting illegally, that's what the federal courts have said. What Snowden did showed that the American government was acting illegal per the 4th amendment. I would bring him home." (sounds choppy because Anderson Cooper kept interrupting to get him to use "traitor" or "hero" language)
Clinton:
"He broke the laws of the United States. He could have been a whistleblower. He could have gotten all of the protections of being a whistleblower. He could have raised all of the issues that he has raised. And I think there would have been a positive response to that. In addition, he stole very important information that has, unfortunately, fallen into a lot of the wrong hands. So I don’t think he should be brought home without facing the music.”
O'Malley:
"Snowden put a lot of Americans lives at risk. Snowden broke the law. Whistleblowers do not run to Russia and try to get protection from Putin. If he really believes that, he should be back here."
Webb:
"I would leave his ultimate judgment to the legal system. Here's what I do believe: We have a serious problem in terms of the collection of personal information in this country."
Sanders:
"I think Snowden played a very important role in educating the American people to the degree in which our civil liberties and our constitutional rights are being undermined. He did break the law, and I think there should be a penalty to that, but I do think what he did in educating us should be taken into consideration."
You can watch the exchange here, starting at the 6:08 mark:
On a pass-fail system, I'd say Chafee and Sanders passed and the rest failed. You could argue that Webb deserves an incomplete for dodging the question, but he's running for president, so he doesn't get incompletes.
If I have to give real grades, here's my breakdown
A - Chafee
B - Sanders
F+ - Clinton
F - O'Malley
F - Webb
Here's the question:
Is former National Security Agency contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden a hero for revealing the American government’s massive surveillance program or a traitor who betrayed his own country?
Here are their answers:
Chafee:
"I would bring him home. What he did was show the American government was acting illegally, that's what the federal courts have said. What Snowden did showed that the American government was acting illegal per the 4th amendment. I would bring him home." (sounds choppy because Anderson Cooper kept interrupting to get him to use "traitor" or "hero" language)
Clinton:
"He broke the laws of the United States. He could have been a whistleblower. He could have gotten all of the protections of being a whistleblower. He could have raised all of the issues that he has raised. And I think there would have been a positive response to that. In addition, he stole very important information that has, unfortunately, fallen into a lot of the wrong hands. So I don’t think he should be brought home without facing the music.”
O'Malley:
"Snowden put a lot of Americans lives at risk. Snowden broke the law. Whistleblowers do not run to Russia and try to get protection from Putin. If he really believes that, he should be back here."
Webb:
"I would leave his ultimate judgment to the legal system. Here's what I do believe: We have a serious problem in terms of the collection of personal information in this country."
Sanders:
"I think Snowden played a very important role in educating the American people to the degree in which our civil liberties and our constitutional rights are being undermined. He did break the law, and I think there should be a penalty to that, but I do think what he did in educating us should be taken into consideration."
You can watch the exchange here, starting at the 6:08 mark:
On a pass-fail system, I'd say Chafee and Sanders passed and the rest failed. You could argue that Webb deserves an incomplete for dodging the question, but he's running for president, so he doesn't get incompletes.
If I have to give real grades, here's my breakdown
A - Chafee
B - Sanders
F+ - Clinton
F - O'Malley
F - Webb
