WASHINGTON — As the nation's capital continues to dig out from Winter Storm Jonah, Vice President Joe Biden has come under fire for apparently praising Edward Snowden in comments he reportedly made while inspecting the cleanup in a Vienna neighborhood. Sources claim the vice president told a young girl, "I really like that Snowden," as he chatted with her on the sidewalk.

As the controversy explodes, Biden adamantly claims his words were directed towards a small child's spontaneous street-side igloo — a "snow den, not a Snowden!" —and not the man who leaked troves of classified information. Presidential candidates in both parties were quick to jump on the issue.

Hillary Clinton, in an appeal to moderate voters, issued a statement attacking both Edward Snowden and Joe Biden for his "reckless" support of endangering classified information. Ted Cruz, while giving no official comment, was overheard claiming he wished he could "carpet bomb the White House" in response to the incident. Donald Trump tweeted an unusually short statement, "LOL."