IMPORTANT ONE.
NO, I DON'T THINK MR. SNOWDEN 
WAS A PATRIOT.
AS I SAID IN MY OPENING REMARKS,
I CALLED FOR A THOROUGH REVIEW 
OF OUR SURVEILLANCE OPERATIONS 
BEFORE MR. SNOWDEN MADE THESE 
LEAKS.
MY PREFERENCE, AND I THINK THE 
AMERICAN PEOPLE'S PREFERENCE, 
WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR A LAWFUL, 
ORDERLY EXAMINATION OF THESE 
LAWS.
A THOUGHTFUL, FACT BASED DEBATE.
THAT WOULD THEN LEAD US TO A 
BETTER PLACE.
BECAUSE I NEVER MADE CLAIMS THAT
ALL THE SURVEILLANCE 
TECHNOLOGIES THAT HAVE DEVELOPED
SINCE THE TIME SOME OF THESE 
LAWS HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE 
SOMEHOW DIDN'T REQUIRE 
POTENTIALLY SOME ADDITIONAL 
REFORMS.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I CALLED 
FOR.
SO THE FACT IS, IS THAT MR. 
SNOWDEN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH 
THREE FELONIES.
IF, IN FACT, HE BELIEVES THAT 
WHAT HE DID WAS RIGHT, THEN LIKE
EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN, HE CAN 
COME HERE, APPEAR BEFORE THE 
COURT WITH A LAWYER AND MAKE HIS
CASE.
IF THE CONCERN WAS THAT SOMEHOW 
THIS WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET 
THIS INFORMATION OUT TO THE 
PUBLIC, I SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE 
ORDER WELL BEFORE MR. SNOWDEN 
LEAKED THIS INFORMATION THAT 
PROVIDED WHISTLE BLOWER 
PROTECTION TO THE INTELLIGENCE 
COMMUNITY FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SO THERE WERE OTHER AVENUES 
AVAILABLE FOR SOMEBODY WHOSE 
CONSCIENCE WAS
