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Congressman Alan Grayson on NSA surveillance: 'Are we that stupid?'

Vice President Joe Biden asked Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa to deny asylum to Edward Snowden, the NSA leaker who is still believed to be in the internatio
Rep. Alan Grayson serving in the 111th Congress (Photo by Evan Vucci/AP)
Rep. Alan Grayson serving in the 111th Congress

Vice President Joe Biden asked Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa to deny asylum to Edward Snowden, the NSA leaker who is still believed to be in the international transit zone of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, the White House said Sunday.

Sunday, outspoken Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida, criticized the NSA and said Snowden's disclosures had brought troubling behavior to light.

“It simply doesn’t matter whether he is a good person," Grayson said of Snowden to msnbc's Betty Nguyen.

What is significant for Grayson is what Edward Snowden brought to light—telephone companies turning over phone records for telephone calls regardless of whether they were international.  “Spying has damaged U.S. foreign policy, harming our reputation in a deep and long lasting way," he said.

Grayson added that Snowden’s revelation “is an I.Q. test for America. Can’t we parse out what’s useful from what’s not useful? Are we that stupid?”