QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 9:41 A.M. ET:  As you know, the Pulitzer Prize was awarded yesterday to the Washington Post and Britain's Guardian for exposing surveillance activities of the National Security Agency, using information provided by Edward Snowden.

I think it's sickening.  There were many ways for Snowden, or anyone else, to blow the whistle on allegedly improper activities without exposing vast troves of classified information, then running to a hostile nation for asylum.  Snowden is currently a guest of the Kremlin. 

Liam Fox, Britain's former secretary of state for defense, is also outraged by the award, and provides us with our quote of the day.  From The Wall Street Journal: 

It remains to be seen just how much damage has been done to the West's security architecture as a result of the Snowden disclosures; much of this information would be classified. There has been speculation, however, that the ability to anticipate Russian intentions in relation to Ukraine and Crimea was diminished as a result of having to close down potentially compromised signals-intelligence capability. If true, this would be the first practical demonstration of how Mr. Snowden and his acolytes had successfully damaged security to the benefit of Vladimir Putin's regime.

The public justification given by Mr. Snowden for his actions was "I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things"—surveillance of its citizens—"I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded." So where does he choose to go? Russia. In a bizarre and perverse video statement in October, he said of America's intelligence techniques: "They hurt our economy. They hurt our country. They limit our ability to speak and think and live and be creative, to have relationships and to associate freely." This from a man who is snuggled up with Mr. Putin's henchmen.

Edward Snowden thinks of himself as a cyber-age guerrilla warrior, but in reality he is a self-publicizing narcissist. He did not find or expose anything illegal, nor did he exhaust all legal and constitutional options to express his reservations about the intelligence and security services. He did not attempt to limit any potential damage in making his point. He did not show that any agency activities were unreasonable in law. Let us not imbue his cowardice with higher motives. Let us not confuse his egotism with public service. Let's not call his treachery by lesser terms. Let us be clear about the intent and impact of his actions. Let us be clear to the American people and their allies about the threats they now face from enemies inside and out, terrorist and criminal. For once, let's say what we mean. Let us call treason by its name.

COMMENT:   Nothing more need be said.

April 15, 2015