[wimpycat]

I know spying goes on all the time, and when the spies get caught, we don't normally have the foreign entitities who benefitted from the spy's treachery so shamelessly lobbying the U.S. government on the convicted spy's behalf. That's not part of the "accepted" rules of engagement. The "everybody does it" defense doesn't wash, either--it's so unprofessional.

The point I was making is that if Hanssen had such an obnoxious Fan Club making light of his treachery and accusing the U.S. government of anti-Catholicism (in his particular case), and saying such ridiculous things, you'd hear a lot more people offering a bullet for Hanssen as well.

Hanssen will suffer the same fate as Pollard. They will both leave their U.S. prison cells in their respective coffins.

[Cachelot]

we don't normally have the foreign entitities who benefitted from the spy's treachery so shamelessly lobbying the U.S. government on the convicted spy's behalf

Of course we have. How do you think the not uncommon exchanges of jailed spies come about? By telepathy?

What is rather uncommon in the Pollard case is the sort of strange verbiage you just engaged in: "shamelessly lobbying" and similar.