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Overly dismissive. they have tried to systemize the data in the new year. how progressively do you think the president will pursue these type of leaks and try and curb the breadth of the nsa's data collection, how big a priority? >> if you go back to 2009, the president gave a speech in which he talked about tradeoff debate, privacy and security. he gave that speech at the national archives. this has obviously accelerated the debate. reforms in congress, presidential advisory committee, recommendations have begun to leak out. so ultimately, i do think there will be reforms. but here is how i t...

People think nsa is staffed by moustache twirling villans who view the law to overcome. malice isn't the issue, overbroad tools are. do you think we're going to ameliorate the system? >> it's very difficult to say. leon's argument is probably going to compel more reforms than otherwise would be in play. the white house review group doesn't appear to get to the heart of bulk collection but incredibly strong push in congress that's going to continue into the new year to force that change legislatively. the big question for obama, does he gets on board wit. one thing to say with the national arch...

Snowden and may or may not have been shared with the chinese and with the russians. no matter what you think of snowden himself, here is the question. if somebody who is about my age, the right person to make the call about opening up that classified information, opening up these discussions, he's -- >> i guess the question is whether or not he's a whistleblower is really fraught one, richard. certainly this ruling does much to support the idea that what the government has been doing is wrong. whether or not snowden is the right person to do it, is that the determining factor. well, your thoug...

Leaks. joining us now u.s. national security editor for "the guardian" spencer ackerman. tell us, if you will, what you think the ruling means in the broader picture in and around the nsa. >> it's absolutely a devastating thing for the nsa. the nsa has argued for the last six months that every court that has looked at it, every judge that examined it's bulk collection programs has found them to be completely in compliance with the law and with the constitution. that talking point is now out the window with judge leon's ruling. >> i want to get your thoughts here and as someone who worked with ...

Judge ruled some of the nsa's activities certainly violate the constitution, almost orwellian in scope. u.s. district judge leon stayed his opinion in order to give u.s. government time to appeal. without question it was a rebuke to the administration and vindication for snowden and his supporters. if a judge ruled nsa activities are unconstitutional, they argue, snowden should be afforded whistleblower status. among revelations, snowden used to wear a parody, note this one with the eagle on its head clutching cables. around the organization top secret hawaii facility while extracting 1.7 mill...