Welcome to the tech policy podcast, your source for policy rants and raves from Tech Freedom,

your Washington, D.C. advocate for the freedom to tinker and innovate. On today's show,

last night's GOP debate in South Carolina. Joining me in our

studio to discuss it is exasperated critic and founder of tech freedom, Baron Soka. The big tech

policy debate that flared up last night featured senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and their

different approach to government surveillance. Rubio had this to say. When I'm president, I will work consistently every single day to keep this country safe,

not call Edward Snowden as you did, a great public servant. Edward Snowden is a traitor.

And if I am president and we get our hands on him, he is standing trial for treason.

Rubio is referencing comments that Cruz made in June of 2013 right in the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations about the scope of government surveillance.

And an event hosted by the blaze, Cruz had this to say about Snowden's actions.

Quote, if it is the case that the federal government is seizing millions of personal

records about law-abiding citizens, and if it is the case that there are minimal restrictions

on accessing or refueing those records, then I think Mr. Snowden has done a considerable

public service by bringing it to light. But recently, Senator Cruz struck a different tune, telling the New York

Times, quote, it is now clear that Snowden is a traitor and he should be tried for treason. So,

Barron, why the flip-flop? Well, clearly politics have changed. National security really has

become America's number one political issue. The most interesting and unfortunate

example of this is Rand Paul went from being on the cover of Time magazine, being called

the most interesting man in politics, precisely because he made these issues, the centerpiece

of his Senate campaign and his time in the Senate, and then eventually his White House race.

And last night he didn't even make the cut for the debate. And that's really unfortunate. We clearly missed a lot of his advocacy

on these issues. He and Cruz tend to agree on a lot. This might be one of the few areas where they

...