Tavis Smiley’s Support of Edward Snowden

By Black Men In America.com Staff

While discussing President Obama’s NSA reform speech, PBS TV host Tavis Smiley, appearing on the ABC TV’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” on January 19, asserted that former NSA employee Edward Snowden “might be on a postage stamp somewhere down the road.”  During the broadcast, Smiley said:

“And so when I knew the president was going to give his speech on Friday, I started to wonder what that bust of Dr. King in the Oval Office might be whispering to the president who was fine-tuning his speech Thursday night,” he continued. “I saw the Friday speech. Unlike Peggy [Noonan], I was somewhat underwhelmed. I understand, David [Gregory], what he’s up against but I sometimes wonder if this president sometimes think rather that he is too cautious when he ought to be a bit more contrarian, particularly when a federal judge has said that part of this bulk collection is unconstitutional. And secondly, you can’t convince me how the dots connect to keep us safer.”

While other panel members, political strategists James Carville, Mary Matlin, presidential historian Peggy Noonan disagreed, Smiley went on to say that “Edward Snowden is going to be acknowledged one day.  He’s going to be appreciated one day.”

For his part, fellow panelist James Carville laughed and said that the only place Americans will see Snowden at a post office is on a “WANTED” poster.

Talk show host Tavis Smiley, in a roundtable discussion on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopolous,” said NSA leaker Edward Snowden “might be on a postage stamp” some day. – See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-hunter/tavis-smiley-snowden-might-be-postage-stamp-one-day#sthash.B6VgAEu7.dpuf

Talk show host Tavis Smiley, in a roundtable discussion on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopolous,” said NSA leaker Edward Snowden “might be on a postage stamp” some day. – See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-hunter/tavis-smiley-snowden-might-be-postage-stamp-one-day#sthash.B6VgAEu7.dpuf