Jimmy Carter issues statement on Snowden. "America no longer has a functioning democracy"

[deurbano]

90. "Cherry picking" would be using those selective quotes and leaving out the context.

President Carter didn't suddenly become relevant, again; he has always been relevant, especially (as you say) on human rights issues. The NYT link in the OP is an editorial by Carter from last year that was well worth reading then and and is well worth reading now (since nothing he is lamenting has changed for the better).

Carter on Snowden (the full quote, again):

<<Ecuador's rationale appeared to have won support from former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. If another country wants to give haven to Snowden, "then that is their right as a sovereign nation," he told CNN's Suzanne Malveaux. "If the United States can acquire custody of him, I'm sure he will be brought to trial, and that's the way the law should be implemented."

Snowden's acts may have some positive impact, Carter said.

"He's obviously violated the laws of America, for which he's responsible, but I think the invasion of human rights and American privacy has gone too far," he said.

"I think that the secrecy that has been surrounding this invasion of privacy has been excessive, so I think that the bringing of it to the public notice has probably been, in the long term, beneficial."

Asked to elaborate, he said, "I think the American people deserve to know what their Congress is doing.">>

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/28/us/snowden-lawyer-offer