Snowden on NBC

Snowden was recently interviewed by Brian Williams of NBC.  The interview lasted about three hours and NBC aired an edited hour of it.  They did make the complete interview available.  In part of the interview that NBC didn’t air, Snowden pointed out that the large amount of data the NSA had available prior to 9/11/01, wasn’t used to prevent this disaster.  It seems they had enough data but didnt "put it together".  Subsequently the NSA wants to use their failure as a reason to gather even more data.  Snowden, and others have expressed the idea that the answer isn’t to gather more data but to improve the methods of handling the data they have.  

Some want to excuse the NSA for the failure, claiming it was Pres Bush’s fault.  For that to be possible, the NSA/CIA would have had to present Bush with the data indicating the attack was going to happen and the President then chose to ignore it.  Now that is a Conspiracy Theory.  We have seen no evidence indicating that the NSA was aware of the impending attacks.  

I find the attacks on the person of Snowden very interesting.  Snowden basically told the American public that there were things about the NSA/CIA that we needed to look closer at and he isnt alone making that statement.  It doesnt matter what his character is like to recognize that there are things about the NSA/CIA that we need to know better.  They work for us.  Ok, so why the personal attacks on Snowden himself?  He only pointed at the NSA.  Do those that are personally attacking him want us to forget what he said and pretend it never happened?  Why?  What would it hurt to investigate the allegations and see if there is anything we need to know about the NSA/CIA.  

I can only think of two reasons people would try to divert attention away from the NSA/CIA and their possible Constitution violations.  One, they want to live in ignorant bliss, or two, they worship the authoritarian power of the NSA/CIA.