The hate for whistleblowers so prevalent in Democratic circles is disturbing.

[bluedye33139]

3. What would the proper way for Sterling to have alerted the press to the Iranian nuclear operation?

He went to the press and revealed details which, when transmitted to Iranian authorities, put people's lives at risk. I can't imagine what positive outcome he intended from this, or what "wrongdoing" he was exposing, or what ethical principle he was following, except that he put people's lives at risk by breaking his oath of confidentiality.

Ultimately, I've been pretty happy with the Obama administration's attempts to contain Iran's nuclear weapons program while also working to support Iran's right to nuclear power, which began decades ago under the Shah. It's a muddy and nuanced approach, but it would be impossible if all CIA employees were given carte blanche to reveal every single detail of their jobs every single day with no penalty whatsoever.