Snowden is not being treated as a traitor as they had hoped but as a hero for revealing NSA dragnet surveillance programs and sacrificing his life for his princ

Snowden is not being treated as a traitor as they had hoped but as a hero for revealing NSA dragnet surveillance programs and sacrificing his life for his principles. He is now perceived as an expert on how to circumvent these NSA programs. Contrast this with the low public opinion of Assange or Manning neither of which required any direct comment by the NSA. They must feel they are losing the PR battle and need to respond in the case of Snowden which I thought was revealing.