The dangerous push among conservatives to portray a traitor as a hero

Obama Derangement Syndrome

By Arnold Ahlert

The saga of Edward Snowden and the revelations surrounding the NSA’s 

data-mining have realigned the political spectrum in unexpected ways. 

This is especially true of some conservatives, including at major right-wing publications. The Daily Caller‘s Theo Caldwell, who can’t decide if Snowden is “Nathan Hale or Benedict Arnold,” suggests “the Leader of the Free World should grant him a pardon.” Patriot Act author Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) is now virulently anti-NSA. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced a bill expanding the definition of the Fourth Amendment beyond recognition. Whether they realize it or not, the conservatives who are succumbing to their own Obama Derangement Syndrome are imperiling national security in the process.

Some of these conservatives have short memories. When the New York Times published its report on the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program, a number of conservatives rallied to the president’s side. ”It strikes me as odd to say that Congress authorized the commander in chief to capture, to detain, to kill, if necessary, al-Qaeda, but we can’t listen to their phone calls, and we can’t gather intelligence to find out what they’re doing so we can prevent future attacks against the American people,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). The administration was not “going hog wild restraining American liberties,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL).

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