I'm no Ellsburg fan but I'll give him credit for at least being consistent in his convictions on this issue which is more than I can say for virtually everyone else on the left.
IMO this is purely Elsbug covering his own ass. “If I can just make my act look like it was the same as this act.”
He’s seeking to cover his own ass with the righteous nature of this revelation. One was an act during war, and the other is an act of government abuse against it’s citizens.
IMO, these are two horses of a different color.