Lon Snowden, fugitive NSA leaker Edward Snowden’s dad, does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin will capitulate and hand his son over after President Obama canceled his September meeting with him. Um, in the grand scheme of things, I didn’t realize Edward Snowden was that important. A responsible father would tell his son to come home and face the music instead of running.

The elder Snowden told Reuters, “These games of ‘Well, I’m not going to go to this meeting,’ or ‘I’m not going to go to that meeting,’ … I do not believe that President Vladimir Putin will cave to that.”  Clearly he knows nothing about diplomacy and foreign relations. I can see where his son got his hubris. As they say, the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.

“President Vladimir Putin has stood firm. I respect strength and I respect courage,” the elder Snowden told Reuters. “He has stood firm against the face of intense pressure from our government and I have to believe that he will continue to stand firm.”

He went on to criticize the Obama administration for the way it treated his son, saying the younger Snowden had no choice but to leave the United States.

“This isn’t about Russia. The fight isn’t in Russia,” he said. “The fight is right here. The fight is about these programs that undermine, infringe upon, violate our constitutional rights.” Source: Politico

Let’s see, Edward Snowden pledged not to divulge classified information when he took the job. He also pledged not to break the law, but he did and now he and his father wants preferential treatment? He also claimed to be a champion of liberties, but he fled to countries that are opposite of what he claims to stand for. Still, he wants preferential treatment? Talk about hubris or plain stupidity.

If Vladimir Putin is such a good guy, maybe Lon Snowden should join his son in making Russia their home, permanently. By the way, the Russia that Edward and Lon Snowden love so much, is being accused by the Human Rights Watch of silencing journalists and activists ahead of the Sochi Winter Olympics. There is also a petition started by George Takei calling for the games to be relocated over Russia’s anti-gay laws.

This was cross-posted from The Hinterland Gazette.