Snowden asks Putin about Moscow surveillance

[LiberalLovinLug]

40. "the hero he sees himself to be"?

He denies that he sees himself that way in his recent TED talk appearance, not that that means anything to you.
So yes, I hear inferences from folks like yourself, that he is somehow working with Putin in some kind of greater conspiracy.

Also why is this a "softball question"? Just because Putin knew how he would answer it beforehand? Don't all politicians, in any country, have good answers ready for probable and potentially uncomfortable questions? The actual question is far from benign, it is a very "hardball" question.

Like reporters asking Bush Jr. if the state uses torture. He was ready for the question and he denied it. Later it was proved that they were using a torture method that Japanese soldiers were executed for using against Americans. It was important that there is a record of Bush denying it was going on. Isn't it at least marginally helpful in the long run to at least begin to be asking questions?

Or is it once again who is asking and not what is asked?