From what I have read, these are facts:
- He was not working for a foreign government
- He did not reveal the info for money
- He concluded that his agency was breaking the law
- He was selective about what he revealed
- He went public at a great personal cost
...and he made public illegal activity by public officials ( breach of everyones 4th amendment rights ), so he is a whistleblower and should be protected. The senators that were briefed and approve of this should stand trial for conspiring to commit civil rights violations along with the NSA, FISA court judges, and the President.