memeorandum: NSA leak is treason, says Feinstein (Jeremy Herb/The Hill)

9:55 AM ET, June 11, 2013

Top Items:

Revealed: The acrobat girlfriend of NSA whistle blower Edward Snowden... who he abandoned when he fled the U.S. — Lindsay Mills, 28, is reportedly the girlfriend Edward Snowden left behind when he leaked information about PRISM surveillance — The girlfriend of NSA whistle blower Edward Snowden …

Discussion: Washington Post, News Desk, The Next Web, The Gateway Pundit, Uncrunched, The Other McCain, New York Times, Gawker, The Daily Caller, Guardian, Rush Limbaugh and Mediaite

Jeremy Herb / The Hill:

NSA leak is treason, says Feinstein — “I don't look at this as being a whistle-blower,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calf.) said. “I think it's an act of treason.” — The whereabouts of Snowden were unclear Monday as authorities ramped up an investigation that could lead to his extradition and prosecution.

Discussion: Hot Air and americanthinker.com

Jeffrey Toobin / News Desk:

Edward Snowden Is No Hero — Edward Snowden, a twenty-nine-year-old former C.I.A. employee and current government contractor, has leaked news of National Security Agency programs that collect vast amounts of information about the telephone calls made by millions of Americans …

Irin Carmon / Salon:

How we broke the NSA story — Exclusive: Laura Poitras tells Salon about getting contacted by Edward Snowden, and reveals more footage is coming — Shortly after Salon's biographical sketch on Laura Poitras went live, the award-winning documentary filmmaker agreed to a phone interview …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Impolitic, Guardian, Pressing Issues, ThinkProgress and Washington Post, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:

Snowden, Facing Charges, Leaves Hong Kong Hotel — WASHINGTON — As Justice Department officials began the process Monday to charge Edward J. Snowden, a 29-year-old former C.I.A. computer technician, with disclosing classified information, he checked out of a hotel in Hong Kong where he had been holed …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Politico, Guardian, The BLT, China Real Time Report, Blazing Cat Fur and News Desk, more at Mediagazer »

David Brooks / New York Times:
The Solitary Leaker

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Guardian, msnbc.com and Pressing Issues

New York Times:
How Edward J. Snowden Orchestrated a Blockbuster Story

Discussion: Guardian, Business Insider, Daily Mail, The Atlantic Online and The Political Carnival

Jeremy Herb / The Hill:
17,000 sign petition urging Obama to pardon NSA whistle-blower

Discussion: Politico, National Review, Crooks and Liars, Reuters, CNN, Red Alert Politics, Post Politics, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Business Insider and Gawker

Rand Paul / CNN:
Ron Paul gives thanks for leaker

Discussion: Campaign for Liberty, Politico, Activist Post and Hot Air

Mackenzie Weinger / Politico:
Barton Gellman, Glenn Greenwald feud over NSA leaker

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Telegraph and FishbowlDC

David Edwards / The Raw Story:
Fox News analyst: ‘Bring back the death penalty’ for NSA leaker

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Washington Monthly, Los Angeles Times and The Huffington Post

Numbers / Pew Research Center for the People …:

Majority Views NSA Phone Tracking as Acceptable Anti-terror Tactic — Public Says Investigate Terrorism, Even IF It Intrudes on Privacy — OVERVIEW — A majority of Americans - 56% - say the National Security Agency's (NSA) program tracking the telephone records of millions of Americans …

Ian Swanson / The Hill:

Sen. Feinstein calls Snowden's NSA leaks an ‘act of treason’ — Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Monday said the 29-year-old man who leaked information about two national security programs is guilty of treason. — Feinstein said former National Security Agency Edward Snowden she doesn't see him as a hero or a whistle blower.

Discussion: Politico, National Review, The Huffington Post, emptywheel, CANNONFIRE, Mediaite, Campaign for America's Future, Hot Air and CNN

Jon Cohen / Washington Post:

Most Americans back NSA tracking phone records, prioritize probes over privacy — A large majority of Americans say the federal government should focus on investigating possible terrorist threats even if personal privacy is compromised, and most support the blanket tracking of telephone records …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Maddow Blog, Capital New York, Hot Air, Althouse, The Fix, p m carpenter's commentary, Hullabaloo, The Volokh Conspiracy, Post Politics, KALW and The Reaction

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Leaks fallout: How bad could it be?

Discussion: americanthinker.com

Rand Paul / Wall Street Journal:
Big Brother Really Is Watching Us

Discussion: American Power

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Edward Snowden's NSA leaks are backlash of too much secrecy

Discussion: New York Times and Daily Kos

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
PRISM Program: Obama Administration Held 22 Briefings For Congress On Key FISA Law

Discussion: CBS News, Fox News, TalkLeft and BobCesca.com

Yahoo! News:
Intelligence chief Clapper: I gave ‘least untruthful’ answer on U.S. spying

Discussion: Firedoglake and Daily Kos

Perry Stein / Talking Points Memo:
Pew Poll: 56 Percent Of Americans Say Phone Tracking Is Acceptable Anti-Terror Tactic

Discussion: CNN, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

New York Times:

Obama to End Effort to Restrict Morning-After Pill — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has decided to stop trying to block over-the-counter availability of the best-known morning-after contraceptive pill for all women and girls, a move fraught with political repercussions for President Obama.

Discussion: Yahoo! News, The Maddow Blog, The Week, The Incidental Economist, First Read, AMERICAblog, Taylor Marsh, Booman Tribune, The Talking Dog, The Caucus and Blue Mass Group, more at Mediagazer »

Guardian:
Plan B: Obama allows morning-after pill for under-17s

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and Balloon Juice

Sam Baker / The Hill:
Obama administration will approve ‘Plan B’ pill for women and girls of all ages

Discussion: Reuters and Red Alert Politics

Tom Hays / Associated Press:
Obama Plan B Decision: Feds To Comply With NY Judge's Ruling

Discussion: Gawker

ABCNEWS:

Transcript: Exclusive Interview With House Speaker John Boehner on NSA Leak, Immigration Reform And More — House Speaker John Boehner sat down with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on “Good Moring America” to discuss the NSA leak, immigration reform, the IRS scandal and much more.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Caucus and The Plum Line

Abby D. Phillip / ABCNEWS:

House Speaker John Boehner: NSA Leaker a ‘Traitor’ — House Speaker John Boehner today called NSA leaker Edward Snowden a “traitor” who put Americans at risk by releasing classified information to the media. — “He's a traitor,” the highest ranking Republican in the House of Representatives …

Discussion: Daily Mail, The Daily Caller and Business Insider

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Obama to rally support for immigration reform as Senate weighs bill — President Obama will hold an event Tuesday morning to rally support for comprehensive immigration reform, as the Senate begins floor debate on a bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Discussion: CNN, Reuters, Politico and Weasel Zippers

Steven Ertelt / LifeNews.com:

IRS Caught on Tape Telling Nonprofit: “Keep Your Faith to Yourself” — The IRS scandal is deepening as a new tape has been released today showing a disturbing phone call the Internal Revenue Service placed to a non-profit organization. — Alliance Defending Freedom, a pro-life legal group …

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Hot Air, The PJ Tatler and The Gateway Pundit

Glenn Harlan Reynolds / USA Today:

Obama's power grab: Column — The common thread running through his scandals is an abuse of power. — “How ironic is that? We wanted a president that listens to all Americans — now we have one.” That was Jay Leno's take on the Obama administration's expanding NSA spying scandal …