(Image source: The White House)
BY ELIZABETH HAGEDORN
With the U.S. and Russia at odds over how
best to handle NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden,
the Obama administration maintains it won't
let the Snowden saga sour relations.
But that hasn't stopped speculation.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham suggests boycotting
the 2014 Winter Olympics should Russia grant
Snowden temporary asylum, telling NBC: (Via
C-SPAN)  
"If you could go back in time, would you have
allowed Adolf Hitler to host the Olympics
in Germany?
I'm not saying that Russia is Nazi Germany
but I am saying that the Russian government
is empowering some of the most evil, hateful
people in the world."
Graham's longtime Senate ally John McCain
took a different position, telling The Hill:
"There's many things we can do, but I think
the experience of cancelling the Olympics
the last time around wasn't very good."
The last time the games were held in Russia,
the U.S. led a 61-nation boycott to protest
the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
(Via ABC) 
A writer for The Atlantic remembers the consequences:
"A Sochi boycott could mean Russia would do
what the Soviet Union did in 1984—boycott
our Olympics.
Or those of our allies.
Which means we'd have to call in Mitt Romney
to save them."
Snowden's stay in Russia further complicates
tensions between the two countries on how
best to stop the violence in Syria and dealing
Iran's nuclear ambitions.
(Via CNN) 
Another complication — President Obama and
Snowden could find themselves in Moscow at
the same time. 
Russian President Vladimir Putin will play
to host Obama for the G-20 economic summit
later this month in St. Petersburg, with a
meeting planned between the two leaders in
Moscow.
(Via G-20 Russia) 
On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jay
Carney said Obama does plan to travel to Russia
for the G-20 — but left it at that when
pressed for more.
The White House asserts granting asylum to
Snowden — who faces charges of espionage
— would essentially give him a "propaganda
platform" to cause further damage to the U.S.
But Snowden's asylum request presents a unique
opportunity for Russia.
(Via BBC) 
"The fact that someone has come to Russia,
seeking refuge... this gives Moscow the opportunity
to say, well, the Russians are protecting
human rights."
Still, a Russian studies professor at New
York University tells RT: "[T]he key word,
if we're going to talk about the practicality
of this... is the word "temporary" -- temporary
asylum.
I doubt seriously that Russia or Snowden is
thinking about permanent residence in Russia.
It wouldn't be good for Snowden, and it wouldn't
be good for Russia."
Snowden will likely then move on to one of
the three Latin American countries that have
offered him safe harbor.
His lawyer told Russia's Interfax news agency,
Snowden plans to leave the transit area of
the Moscow airport he's holed up in in less
than a week.
(Via The Guardian, euronews) 
The left-leaning countries of Venezuela, Nicaragua
and Bolivia have all offered Snowden asylum.
