The Fed Who Blew the Whistle

Guys (and gals), I appreciate the academic discussion and framework of morality, our Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc. ??? it all sounds wonderful, but back in the real world (where I live), he is duty-bound to raise and resolve any of these potential concerns internally, within the system, before compromising potentially sensitive information. It is not clear this poor guy did this or is even aware of how his ???innocent??? release could come back and hurt operations and real Americans. Believe me, the framework exists for all of these moral concerns to be addressed ??? without a hit team being dispatched to his home like some SCI-FI movie. But even a Congressional Inquiry can raise his concern to a very high profile - our elected leaders, who also have clearances and can best escalate without risking compromise ??? at least in theory??? as most of our leaks actually come from these people, who have been known to also place political and personal gain over our national requirements. Looking past the victim garb the media has bestowed on this guy, he is not unlike a soldier who must distinguish between lawful from unlawful orders, gov???t employees who have been granted special trust and accesses must maintain the integrity of that information. So, I just don???t buy the ???he???s just a righteous patriot in a corrupt environment??? angle ??? he violated a trust, his contract and the law and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.

When a person swears to uphold the Constitution, that is the person's prime directive. If the government chooses to abuse its power, then that person is obligated to reveal it. Since the A-G's office was in on the abuse, he had no where else to turn but to the press.
The Nazi war crimes trials confirmed that our ideals of justice make it inherent upon individuals to speak out when abuses are discovered. If the press is the only outlet, then so be it. We lose the war on terroism if we give up the rights to privacy due all citizens regardless of the potential danger, mind you that's POTENTIAL danger.
Therefore, it takes enlightened citizens with a conscience to do the "right thing" even when it's contrary to any oaths taken. That's how heroes are made.

What is wrong with you people? This guy just acted on a moral conviction! He did NOT pass secrets to our enemies and NO, he did not sell secrets to the KJB. "Bob in Poteet," you are clearly out of touch. This man is not a liar and he did not swear to help the NSA break the laws of the Constitution.

If, as the article indicates, Tamm was never briefed on the NSA's operation that according to NEWSWEEK's article "seemed to be spying" on American citizens", how then, could he know the entire scope of the NSA" investigations? NEWSWEEK's article states that NSA activity was only instigated after information was gleaned from cell phones or computers taken from captured terorists. And that would indicate that the NSA would only have been monitoring INCOMMING phone calls to the US. After suspicious activity was confirmed by NSA intercepts, then and only then did the government "data mine" that information for other sources that could lead to terrorist machinations here in the US. Mr. Tamm would like you to believe that he acted out of concern for the safety of all Americans as he upheld the honor of the Constitution. Mr. Tamm is being disingenous. He acted out af a sense of misguided self-righteous patriotism that ended up being more self serving than patriotic. He deserves to be prosecuted for his error in judgement that cost the United States a great deal in giving terrorists advance knowledge on just how sophisticated we are in uncovering their diabolical machinations.

it is interesting if some agency will get public opinion is he a hero or a criminal? From the public reaction 4 years ago, it seems that 70% will say "criminal".

". Agents have raided his house, hauled away personal possessions and grilled his wife, a teenage daughter and a grown son. ."

Harrassing his teenage daughter? Some brave lads.

Can you guys who support sneak and peek tell me how many people you've actually caught with this wiretapping? Other than Elliott Spitzer?

I've spent a lot of years now yearning for justice on the crimes of Iraq...what I'm starting to believe is that maybe it's been taking place as we speak.

I spent a year of my life consumed with anger for somebody. It destroyed me mentally. That year was agony. And it led to other consequences besides psychological ones as well, later. It makes me think that sometimes thoughts and actions are their own karma.

I think it's on all of us who believe in due process and human rights to stop hating our ideological opponents and to have some sort of compassion for them instead. We tend to wish hell on them - but lot of the people you disagree with are probably already experiencing hells of greater torment than people can probably understand, no matter who you are. They may even be experiencing hells that are more than you could understand or bear.

The year I spent in psychic Hell was probably punishment enough in more for the thoughts and feelings I couldn't control. I have to think, for those who've spent the last six years consumed with hatred and anger, it's been the same. Maybe what I need to do is start wishing them well instead - perhaps if things were better, the hatreds would subside.

Thank God somebody thinks the Constitution should be upheld! He should be rewarded for this. Go live in China if you want your government to go unchecked and your Constitutional rights to mean nothing!

DOJ swept it under the carpet. No one had the cojones to stand up. They all need to come to work in a dress........no offense meant to the real ladies of America.

Tamm is a hero, dammit, and it's a lie to say otherwise.

And if anyone thinks what Tamm did "tipped off" Al Qaeda, they're morons because I don't think AQ is that stupid to believe they aren't being surveilled. And Bush hasn't "protected us." It was under HIS watch that we were attacked and he had many indications an attack was coming and did NOTHING. I repeat... NOTHING.

Tamm is a HERO.

Every US citizen has a duty to expose illegal activities inside or outside of government. To create chang within the "system", Tamm needed whatever protection he could garner from The Times article. If Tamm would have attempted to resolve this "administrativly" ( as Richin NH proposes) he would have been threatened and over time suffered the same legal assaults he is now experiencing without any recourse or support. His chain of command would have crushed him using a broad range of conventional personnel strategies.

He couldn't possibly be a traitor. We should never allow the enemies of liberty to make us forget that the government officials of this Republic swear an oath to the Constitution, NOT to the President or any other individual. It is to the Constitution that he owed his first loyalty and he met that charge. Therefore he's a hero and his persecutors are the traitors trying to destroy the republic in favor of a dictatorship.