When Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers he was called a traitor also. His phones were tapped illegally by the govt which is the reason for his case dismissal. (Illegal wiretapping sound familiar for some reason?)
The govt at the time also said the release of those documents would cause "an immediate imminent danger irreversible damage to American security.". But the news papers agreed with Ellsberg that it wasn't it wasn't. So in kind of an act of civil disobedience against the govt they went ahead and published the papers over the govts objections. It went to the Supreme court and the papers won on grounds of freedom of speech.
Ellsberg also was let go on his own recognizance by the judge and he was free to speak out on his behalf for two years before his trial started. He said he expected to be treated humanely. A judge ruled Bradley Manning's treatment was inhumane. It's a different country in that regards since those ealry 1970's when Ellsberg went public.
Please check out this interview with Thomas hartmann posted here on DU and hear it in Ellsberg own words if you want:
http://upload.democraticunderground.com/1017127663
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ellsberg
The point being is Ellsberg, Plume, Binney, Drake, Tice, Weibe, and other whistleblowers are corroborating the evidence Snowden is leaking and stating it is factual, it's not harming America's security apparatus or outing people at risk in the agency or any field actions, and it's vindicating the attempts they've made to get the NSA to act within accordance to US law.
I'd recommend this USA Today round table discussion with 3 former whistleblowers Binney, Drake, & Wiebe as well:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/06/16/snowden-whistleblower-nsa-officials-roundtable/2428809/
Anyways glad to know you support more transparency and and would consider repealing or amneding the Patriot Act to do so.
Cheers...
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