Shooting the messenger is standard operating procedure by the PR/Propaganda wing of the powerful. There were attempts to malign snowden, I think some one went on Dianne Rhem Show on NPR dissing snowden for not have passed out of High school or for not getting a college degree. That I found was the lowest of the low hit at him. He is not a hero - but he sure is not a traitor - he decided to do what he did with good intentions and in alignment of his conscious.