NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake appeared in an interview on The Daily Show last night. The show appropriately ridicules the executive branch's persecution of Drake, who blew the whistle on a costly and likely illegal spying program called "Trailblazer". Another program, "Thinthread", partially built by his colleague and fellow whistleblower William Binney, was far cheaper, more effective, and more ethical — but the former NSA officials say it was passed over in favor of the more expensive and invasive program.

His attorney Jesselyn Radack says Drake was charged with unauthorized use of a government computer in retaliation for his communications with a reporter about what he calls "massive fraud, waste and abuse" at the NSA. Radack says that charge is "the equivalent of playing too much Facebook" on your work computer."

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