Zynga's Founder Asks Obama To Pardon Snowden

Say That Again

from the justiceville? dept

Fri, Dec 20th 2013 3:17am — Mike Masnick

There was an earlier report in the Washington Post that one of the tech execs who met with President Obama on Tuesday had directly said that the President should issue a pardon for Ed Snowden -- something the President immediately said he could not do. There had been some speculation on which exec said that, but according to CNN, it was Mark Pincus, the founder of social gaming company Zynga:

A source familiar with the meeting told CNN Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper that one of the executives, Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga, which makes on-line social games, suggested to the President that he pardon NSA leaker Edward Snowden, but Obama said he could not do that. The suggestion of the pardon was first reported by the Washington Post.

Hopefully other execs will follow on that lead and start speaking out. Given everything that's happened in the past six months, the idea that the US is still trying to arrest Snowden and charge him under the Espionage Act is a growing travesty that makes the administration look ridiculously petty. A true leader knows when to admit to making mistakes. The President has an opportunity that he's squandering.

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Filed Under: barack obama, ed snowden, mark pincus, pardon
Companies: zynga

16 Comments

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Ninja (profile), 20 Dec 2013 @ 2:57am

from the justiceville? dept

I'm not sure, there's been some Mafia Wars going on =/

Ahem.
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Dan, 20 Dec 2013 @ 4:16am

Obama isn't a "true leader". He may have won two elections but he's hardly a leader of anything. He's a great rhetorician but it's all talk, no meat. I am extremely disappointed with Obama, he could've been a president that mattered.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2013 @ 4:41am

Even worse than LJN
We're doomed, there is no way Obama is going to agree with the maker of the shittiest games on earth.
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RyanNerd (profile), 20 Dec 2013 @ 4:45am

Yes, you remember Zynga who thinks you...
Might Confuse Having Casual Sex With Playing A Scrabble Knockoff, Because It's 'With Friends'

It's wonderful to have a great company like this supporting Snowden.
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That One Guy (profile), 20 Dec 2013 @ 4:50am

No no, this could work
While they may be crap games, they're also apparently really addicting to some people, so he'd just have to offer Obama a 'Trial subscription', get him hooked on one or more of the games and then bring out the big guns...

'Your trial subscription to the Zynga Game Vault has expired. If you would like to keep your game progress, keep playing, and upgrade to a full membership, it will cost you one(1) presidential pardon. Click 'Yes' to accept.'
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beech, 20 Dec 2013 @ 5:11am

Well, on the plus side, at least there's one power obama doesn't claim to have.

He's claimed so many powers for the executive branch, and thekne he disavows is one tthat's actually constitutionally given to him...
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TheResidentSkeptic (profile), 20 Dec 2013 @ 6:05am

Obama is Correct... for the wrong reasons.
He is correct in that he can NOT "pardon" Snowden. A "Pardon" is only granted to someone who has done something WRONG. Obama could grant "Pardons" to all the lying bastards behind the mess for all of THEIR wrong-doing - but not to Snowden. History will be on Snowdens' side when all is said and done.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2013 @ 6:07am

Methinks Obama does not know the difference between "can't" and "won't".
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2013 @ 6:29am

'A true leader knows when to admit to making mistakes'

the way Obama has been/is behaving makes me seriously doubt whether he really is the leader or whether he is just a front man? he seems to be more interested in making sure the entertainment industries can sue the arse off people, rather than ensuring they are actually paying all their taxes. he is then more concerned with keeping the security agencies happy, and remember, he is supposed to be the one THAT THOSE AGENCIES ANSWER TOO, than seeing that justice is done and that the true American values are not just carried out but enforced. that goes equally down the ladder to the various Police forces as well!
it's almost as if he is sitting in front of a few powerful people with thumb up bum and brain in neutral, while a hidden entity pulls a few strings, working him like a puppet, making 'yes or no' noises when necessary!!
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FookHollywood, 20 Dec 2013 @ 7:00am

@8
go see whom joe biden is ....whom he represents and WHOM obama met with before the last election at a manor ....all those friends a joes....
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Jerrymiah, 20 Dec 2013 @ 8:39am

Re: Obama is Correct... for the wrong reasons.
You're absolutely right. He already has asked his propaganda officer (Eric the Nazi)to prepare pardons for James Clapper just in case the Senate and Congress decide to place him under arrest for lying to the Senate and Congress. The same goes for Alexander, Hayden, and all those that support the NSA activities. He absolutely does not care for what the people who elected him think about the sugject.
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Snowden = American Hero!!!, 20 Dec 2013 @ 8:44am

Legal Defense Fund
The Journalistic Source Protection Defence Fund raises money for the legal defence campaign of Mr Edward Snowden. This fund is the only fund endorsed by Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks.

[Credit card, Paypal and wire transfers accepted, $86,146 from 1,948 donors so far!]

https://wikileaks.org/freesnowden

You can send BTC to the following address for the Journalistic Source Protection Defence Fund for Edward Snowden:

1snowqQP5VmZgU47i5AWwz9fsgHQg94Fa
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Rapnel (profile), 20 Dec 2013 @ 9:04am

Re: Obama is Correct... for the wrong reasons.
I beg to differ.

Copying and disseminating classified documents is, most assuredly, a crime.

A crime executed for the greater good is still a crime. Is this not the current mantra of every bureau and branch of the DOD and DOJ (where "greater good" is clearly relative)?

Mr. Snowden is eligible for a pardon.
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Alt0, 20 Dec 2013 @ 11:07am

Re: Re: Obama is Correct... for the wrong reasons.
What Ed Snowden did was a "correction" not a crime.
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Rapnel (profile), 20 Dec 2013 @ 11:30am

Re: Re: Re: Obama is Correct... for the wrong reasons.
Yeah? Well, then, he'll definitely not receive a pardon for "corrections" then, will he?

Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm simply trying to steer out of the "he thinks, they thinks" phase and onto a concrete discourse that could potentially lead to a pardonable path.

Disclosing classified documents is fucking crime. Get it? Don't forget it. Any possibilities for him receiving a pardon are going to be rooted in that "criminal activity".

Two wrongs don't make a right and all that. Let's fucking keep fucking emotion at fucking bay at least until he is fucking "officially" a fucking whistle-blower... for fuck's sake.
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Rapnel (profile), 20 Dec 2013 @ 11:30am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Obama is Correct... for the wrong reasons.
I posted that before I could self-censor. I fucking apologize.
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