"he stole and disclosed highly classified computer codes developed to hack into the networks of foreign governments"
"different in nature from Mr. Snowden’s theft"
What's next, NYtimes, calling people "rats" for reporting a homicide?
It's one thing to call attention to warrantless wiretapping and unconstitutional practices. It's an entirely different thing to take and distribute the source code of a tool used to access foreign government systems. The former is illegal the latter is literally the reason why the NSA was created.
And — also — not whistleblowing, because nothing he has alleged is illegal.
At least one surveillance program revealed by Snowden has been challenged in US courts and found to be illegal, whether any others revealed were illegal remains a disputed point.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/07/politics/nsa-telephone-metadat...
A federal court disagreed to that in 2015 [PDF]:
Thats not whistleblowing.