A pardon for Edward Snowden would be good for America and would help burnish the president's legacy as one of the primary defenders of human rights.

When you've seen prejudice, you understand that we aren't finished, that we're still perfecting this American experiment.

President Bush broke the law and lied to the American people when he unilaterally authorized secret wiretaps of U.S. citizens. But rather than focus on this constitutional crisis, Attorney General Gonzales is cracking down on critics of his friend and boss. Our nation is strengthened, not weakened, by those whistle-blowers who are courageous enough to speak out on violations of the law.

It's disingenuous and wrong to say that the attorney general's expanded powers in the Patriot Act come with adequate oversight by the courts, ... In reality, the most troubling provisions in the law make judges little more than rubber stamps in Justice Department investigations.

Pardoning Snowden would be a powerful way for the president to acknowledge that the government did wrong, kept us in the dark, acted unconstitutionally. And but for the actions of Edward Snowden, we would still be in a very dark place.

A pardon for Edward Snowden would be good for America and would help burnish the president's legacy as one of the primary defenders of human rights.