“There are 50 new storylines, all of which lead away from Obama,” said Paul Begala, the former Bill Clinton strategist who has seen his share of political firestorms.
Snowden may even draw some of the fire away from the Obama administration’s other scandals — especially the IRS targeting of conservative groups. …
“No one is more happy about this latest event than the IRS,” said former George W. Bush White House spokesman Tony Fratto. “I joked last night that they’re holding an Edward Snowden appreciation day.” …
And White House press secretary Jay Carney dodged most of the questions about Snowden at Monday’s press briefing, carefully avoiding anything that would take the spotlight off of the self-identified leaker. It’s an ongoing investigation, Carney said over and over, and the administration doesn’t comment on ongoing investigations — and he still insisted that Obama believes antiterrorism surveillance is “an absolutely appropriate topic for debate.”
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