How whistleblowers are barred from defending themselves in court

01-28-2014 • http://pando.com, By David Sirota

We believe he should come back, he should be sent back, and he should have his day in court. – White House National Security Adviser Susan Rice

He ought to stand on his own two feet. He ought to make his case… Come home, make the case that somehow there was a higher purpose here. – U.S. Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.)

What Snowden ought to do is come back and stand trial and face the consequences. And he’ll have his ample opportunity to say why he did what he did and all of that. – U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

As pure political demagoguery, this line has been wildly successful. For proof just look at a new Pew poll showing that 56 percent of Americans want Snowden to stand trial. With other polls showing a majority think Snowden is a whistleblower and not a traitor, the Pew survey doesn’t mean most think he is guilty. It just means that most people believe, as the talking point goes, he should make his case in court.