And so it begins, the assault on Snowden, his character, his qualifications, etc.
Such is the projection of American military power that his credit card and bank account will already be locked down, on grounds that he is a 'terrorist', regardless of which country he flees to.
It's perfectly possible for Snowden to have done what he did and still have negative qualities - for example, by going public he's making the entire conversation about him instead of the programs he leaked.
By going public, he's also encouraging others to do the same. Even if it's just the smallest amount, it matters.