Patterico's Pontifications

6/5/2014

Obama: Bergdahl Controversy Is a “Scandal Whipped Up In Washington”

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:51 am



Meanwhile, he has his own aides out there calling the members of Bergdahl’s platoon potential “psychopaths” for daring to buck the Official Line:

An Obama administration official on Wednesday suggested that members of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s platoon who have criticized him for allegedly deserting his unit might be “psychopaths,” the Right Scoop reports.

Brandon Friedman, the deputy assistant secretary of public affairs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, floated the possibility that Bergdahl’s squadmates are “smear[ing] him publicly” because he “grew disillusioned with what he saw, didn’t trust his leadership, and walked off.”

“What if his platoon was long on psychopaths and short on leadership?” Friedman asked in the first of five tweets on the issue on Wednesday evening.

Here’s the tweet:

Screen Shot 2014-06-05 at 7.37.57 AM

Now, here’s Obama calling the scandal something “whipped up in Washington”:

Heh heh. Yeah, uh, I’m never surprised by controversies that are whipped up in Washington, right? That’s — that’s par for the course. Um. But I’ll repeat what I said two days ago. We have a basic principle. We do not leave anybody wearing the American uniform behind. We had a prisoner of war whose health had deteriorated, and we were deeply concerned about and we saw an opportunity and we seized it, and I make no apologies for that. We had discussed with Congress the possibility that something like this might occur, but because of the nature of the folks that we were dealing with and the fragile nature of these negotiations we felt it was important to go ahead and do what we did and we’re now explaining to Congress the details of how we move forward, but this basic principle that we don’t leave anybody behind and this basic recognition that often means prisoner exchanges with enemies is not unique to my administration. It dates back to the beginning of our republic. And with respect to how we announced it, I think it was important for people to understand that this is not some abstraction, this is not a political football. You have a couple of parents whose kid volunteered to fight in a distant land. Who they hadn’t seen in five years. And weren’t sure whether they’d ever see again. And as Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces I am responsible for those kids, and i get letters from parents who say if you are, in fact, sending my child into war make sure that that child is being taken care of and I write too many letters to folks who unfortunately don’t see their children again after fighting a war. I make absolutely no apologies for making sure that we get back a young man to his parents and that the American people understand that this is somebody’s child and that we don’t condition whether or not we make the effort to try to get them back.

Besides the ridiculous claim that this is a phony scandal, note the other portion I have bolded. The real reason for the hurry wasn’t concerns over Bergdahl’s health, although Obama does mention that. They decided to do it without notifying Congress 30 days in advance “because of the nature of the folks that we were dealing with and the fragile nature of these negotiations.”

In other words, they really wanted the deal to go through, and telling Congress about it might imperil the deal.

Because of this Administration’s Great Respect for Soldiers. Which leads them to suggest that soldiers who did act honorably are . . . psychopaths. Think about that for a moment.

Eleven honorable men so far — versus zero men who served with Bergdahl and are willing to come forward and support Obama’s lies.

That’s the real scandal being whipped up in Washington: that we have a President whose Adminstration attacks servicemen to save Obama from a self-inflicted wound.

144 Responses to “Obama: Bergdahl Controversy Is a “Scandal Whipped Up In Washington””

  1. This is unbelievable.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  2. Does the Harvard student government really think this is a fight they can win?

    Steve57 (61329d)

  3. Obama told us Bergdahl has health issues, so that must be right. It’s a good thing he will be able to keep his doctor.

    Amphipolis (d3e04f)

  4. that the American people understand that this is somebody’s child

    Literally everybody is somebody’s child. This is no justification for anything, because it would be a justification for everything.

    and that we don’t condition whether or not we make the effort to try to get them back.

    This is the second time this week he’s used “condition” as a verb. What is that?

    MayBee (846936)

  5. My only consolation is that the American people seem to be finally getting it with this whole sorry mess of an administration, and world view.

    Patricia (be0117)

  6. Good post. Notice that Obama refers to soldiers as “kids” or “children.” They’re adults, of course, but Obama often describes members of the military as kids — which suggests people who are gullible and naive, not mature adults. I suspect that’s how he views most people in the military … except those who question the mission, like Bowe Bergdahl.

    Mike (8c79bc)

  7. Good observation, Mike. I was about to comment on the despicable nature of this whole turn of events, but thanks to you I don’t have to.

    I try not to use profanity. But these days, it’s hard.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  8. I’m also beginning to suspect a lot of people in the media and in this administration really don’t see anything wrong with desertion.

    MayBee (846936)

  9. If nobody minds, may I observe that the people who aren’t children are the soldiers in Bergdahl’s unit. Who risked their lives looking for him.

    As opposed to Prom Queen and his Harvard Law Review Winter Festivus Decorating Committee of an administration.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  10. Is Obama really gonna fight these servicemen over this deserter? Who is advising him? So the principle of “we don’t leave any soldier behind” trumps other principles like “not negotiating with terrorists?” Good news for the terrorists! If they want anything from the American president they should just kidnap one American soldier and it shall be thine; even to the half of the Obama kingdom. Great precedence MR President.

    The Emperor (890cff)

  11. Obama and his White House staff, never very competent to begin with, are becoming more insular, more withdrawn from reality and much much more incompetent.

    SPQR (c4e119)

  12. “What if his platoon was long on psychopaths and short on leadership?”

    They’d be the White House staff.

    nk (dbc370)

  13. Why would it kill Obama to come out and acknowledge what a tough decision this was, that he understands the concern, and agree to meet with Bergdahl’s platoon members?

    The only time he hasn’t been dismissive of someone’s arguments against him are when Medea Benjamin interrupts his speeches. Then he talks about how the anti-war arguments are valid.
    That says a lot, and I guess even helps to explain his behavior right now.

    MayBee (846936)

  14. Our military are nothing more than styrofoam Greek columns to Obama and his psycho staff, props to be used in vain attempts to make him appear to be a real leader.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  15. Ms. Maybee, I’m happy to see you are back commenting here.

    And yes, apparently the denizens of the Obama administration are shocked to find people have a problem with desertion. What do you expect from a crew who can’t imagine the military might have a serious function besides demonstrating that their LGBT, leftist social-engineering theories are entirely correct?

    Maybe it’s inappropriate to bring that up. But the word I get is that the troops are sick and tired of being seen as Guinea Pigs to be experimented upon. Including some who disagree with me entirely. We have a clash of cultures. Obama sees the troops as bitter clingers who need to be fundamentally transformed. Meanwhile, the troops didn’t join for that. And they’re not children, and they won’t put up with being treated like children. Not for long.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  16. People–this is them (clumsily) trying to keep the nation’s focus on Bergdahl, not on the monster Taliban commanders. It seems to be working, unfortunately.

    elissa (e51f3f)

  17. Yes, coronello, King Putt can’t see the troops as anything more than props in the theater of his life.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  18. “to your battle stations… launch teh hashtags!”

    – Valerie Jarret

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  19. The dismal reign of President Armslength Weaksuck Momjeans continues, unabated.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  20. How long do you think before someone resigns over this fiasco…

    The Emperor (92db31)

  21. By the way, what is the armed forces’ punishment for desertion?

    The Emperor (082acd)

  22. If Obama had a son, he would want him to act like Bowe Bergdahl.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  23. Obama would not want his son to be punished by carrying out the terms of his service.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  24. A better deal would have been to execute the five devils and
    send their bodies in exchange for Bergdahl.

    Gusto Smooth (941ba0)

  25. Obama’s biggest constituency is women, so he figures he’s sitting pretty no matter what he does. “That demographic” will never admit that they were wrong, to themselves or anybody else, about anything, including voting for the SCOAMF. All JEF has to do is give them some kind of semi-credible lie to latch on to, and even in the absence of that they will always have “Bush!”.

    nk (dbc370)

  26. The punishment for desertion in the face of the enemy is death. Although its been a while since we’ve actually executed someone.

    AFCop (020ac0)

  27. Obama doesn’t realize that it is the “not negotiating with terrorists” policy that has accounted for the low to zero number of American soldiers held in captivity because the terrorists know the Americans won’t play ball. But with this recent prsioner swap he has opened a door that will be difficult to close. He has also put the lives of our military at risk. Telling us that is someone’s child is silly. What the hell does that mean? Did he not know what he was getting into when he opted to join the army? Did he think he was going on a disney trip?

    The Emperor (be6d20)

  28. They are calling this attack on Bergdahl a “Swiftboating” without realizing all that does is remind people about Kerry.

    Kevin M (b357ee)

  29. The punishment for desertion in the face of the enemy is death.

    To be fair, it wasn’t “in the face of the enemy”, but back at camp. The first is likely to get your buddies killed and deserves the harshest punishment; the other is just oathbreaking.

    Kevin M (b357ee)

  30. Whipped up in Washington?
    Yes, it was created at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
    You don’t like it?
    You should have gone and played golf that day instead of doing what you usually do:
    Something Stupid!

    askeptic (8ecc78)

  31. Taliban stronghold
    of Al-Hailey Idaho
    wonders what hit them

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  32. I understand that Brandon Friedman was an Infantry Officer in his previous life.
    I can only imagine how chilly will be the reception at his attendance at the next unit reunion.

    askeptic (8ecc78)

  33. I’m reminded of an event in Gordon Dickson’s Dorsai series, told as a ballad:

    “They little knew of brotherhood,
    The faith of fighting men,
    Who once to prove their lie was good,
    Hanged Colonel Jacques Chrétien…”

    Turned out to be a bad move.

    Kevin M (b357ee)

  34. Kevin M (b357ee) — 6/5/2014 @ 9:21 am

    How would you react if Bergdahl was a member of Charley Company, and had just left ‘camp” one night in the Ardennes and walked over to join the Wermacht?

    That camp he was in took fire from the enemy, and you appear to be a little foolish.

    askeptic (8ecc78)

  35. Obama’s minions
    could learn from kids making run
    for class president

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  36. Bergdahl… scorned as the one who ran
    what do you do when you’re Bergdahl
    and you helped teh Taliban

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  37. Kevin @30, to be fair you just never know. Camps have been overrun. If you’re going to sleep well at night, you have to have confidence that the sentry isn’t going to wander off, so you don’t wake up to find you’re dead.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  38. Was the question planted?

    Mealy Mouth said: We have a basic principle. We do not leave anybody wearing the American uniform behind.

    Well, do tell, so the uniform is the qualifying condition? That conveniently leaves out the 4 Americans in Benghazi, (was SGT Tahmooressi in mufti), and what about all those American soldiers in graveyards all over Western Europe and North Africa?

    ropelight (47baa2)

  39. Washington = Congress is actually not doing anything about it.

    jorgen (8681d6)

  40. So he’d rather badmouth heroes whose asses he isn’t fit to wash rather then admit he did something stupid again. God damn him.

    CrustyB (69f730)

  41. What I find fascinating about this whole evolution, in a dreadful sort of way, is I can take a high school dropout who later got his G.E.D. and he or she can be persuaded to understand that there are certain things you can’t do. Like abandon your post.

    But Prom Queen and the Harvard Law Review Spring Dance Decorating Committee and the rest of the best and brightest seem to be unable to grasp the concept.

    Like Ralph Peters observed, they seem to think abandoning your post is kind of like skipping class. What’s the big deal?

    Steve57 (61329d)

  42. it’s supposed to be a sacred priniciple food stamp can’t even get his cliches right

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  43. I wish to go on record with an objection to the constant referral to SGT Bergdahl.

    Yes, that is his official rank, but when he left his post he was a PFC. His subsequent promotions are a result of administrative actions as he met the time-in-grade requirements of the next rank. If he had remained in custody he would most likely have been awarded a rocker soon.

    No there is nothing wrong with being a PFC; we were probably one at some point in our service.

    I think someone back a few comments is equating “camp” in this context with something they may have experienced with the Boy Scouts or YMCA. Not so, by a long shot. Pun intended.

    gramps, the original (4615a6)

  44. Let them keep talking and writing crap like this. Who believes anything ∅ has to say anymore. If the zipster is on tv, I switch the channel or turn it off. I don’t have time for lies, and eventually neither will his supporters.

    Hadoop (f7d5ba)

  45. That camp he was in took fire from the enemy, and you appear to be a little foolish.

    “Desertion in the face of the enemy” means running away during an active engagement, which he did not do. Simple desertion is bad enough, it isn’t necessary to embellish.

    Going over to the other side, OTOH, isn’t just desertion, it’s treason and is quite a different thing entirely. Although there is room to believe Bergdahl was just incredibly naive and didn’t expect the nice Taliban to torture the information out of him.

    Kevin M (b357ee)

  46. Psychopaths always think that it is everyone else who are crazy.

    Tom (e52bee)

  47. If you’re going to sleep well at night, you have to have confidence that the sentry isn’t going to wander off, so you don’t wake up to find you’re dead.

    Agreed. As I understand it, though, he didn’t do that. I’m not making light of any form of desertion — but it wasn’t cowardice in a firefight. Then again it wasn’t at Fort Dix either.

    Kevin M (b357ee)

  48. I wish to go on record with an objection to the constant referral to SGT Bergdahl.

    Thank you. Do they still rip the insignia and buttons off after the conviction?

    Kevin M (b357ee)

  49. All I can say, Kevin, is that failing to proprerly stand your watch has been a capital offense since Roman times. And no doubt before. Because you can’t know the time or the place.

    There is never a good time to desert, whether you are actively engaged or merely in terrain where the enemy my be encountered. Or just in the US. I don’t see it making much difference.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  50. @49- Don’t know, but I would think such a thing would hurt the feelings of the person so treated and that would be bad.

    My Army time was less than recent: black leather boots, shirts & pants all the same, solid, color (OD), and C-rats (which included cigarettes), not MRE.

    gramps, the original (4615a6)

  51. Kevin, yes, they do. I learned that in the aftermath of the “sex on the beach” incident in Guam. When the OIC of the Marine Det on the Blue Ridge, an Ensign, and a married female Petty Officer got drunk and had a threesome.

    Unwisely choosing a section of beach outside the restaurant with the picture window where the battle group wardroom was holding a victory party after completing a successful exercise.

    When the Marine’s conviction was complete, all appeals exhausted, the Commandant of the Marine Corps had him flown to DC so he could personally rip off his railroad tracks.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  52. And gramps, it did hurt his feelings.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  53. This administration makes my flesh creep. There is no place so low and so self-servingly deceitful they won’t go. But what make’s me sorrowful is that this is what America now wants and very much deserves.

    I was watching an early episode of the John Adams miniseries (some liberties were taken with the history/chronology but the core liberties at stake are renedered faithfully) and and I can remember a very different reactions to his visions of future American greatness – “Yet through all the gloom I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory.” This time I just felt all dead inside. Not even Charleton Heston pounding sand anger. Just dead. It’s gone, it’s all gone and they don’t even understand what they threw away for a Bammy republic. When it sinks in it will be too late, as it already is.

    SarahW (267b14)

  54. Excellent post, Patrick. Bravo!

    Beldar (fa637a)

  55. Perhaps President lackluster needs a beer summit with stupidly acting people. {Valerie J.}

    mg (31009b)

  56. Well said SarahW, but so sad…

    Gazzer (c3e343)

  57. I’m also beginning to suspect a lot of people in the media and in this administration really don’t see anything wrong with desertion.
    MayBee (846936) — 6/5/2014 @ 8:14 am

    It’s the highest form of patriotism. Except for maybe handing the Taliban some tips to help America rid itself of “shame”.

    SarahW (267b14)

  58. the media doesn’t even understand that loosing five accomplished and murderous terrorists on your own soldiers is not a nice thing to do

    that it’s actually incredibly disrepectful

    their job is already … quixotic enough

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  59. “If you like your Taliban, you can keep your Taliban.”
    – President Barack “Hussein-in-the Membrane” Obama

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  60. More of a weasel, actually;

    http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=47590

    narciso (3fec35)

  61. Obama: “We do not leave anybody wearing the American uniform behind.”

    I guess the four Americans who were left to die in Benghazi, when help was only an hour or two away, don’t count because they weren’t wearing uniforms.

    CDM (03a69a)

  62. At this point it appears Obama released 6 people back to the Taliban but we got nothing in return.

    And to an American leftist the highest form of patriotism is to be anti American. Then you can throw in being anti white, male, Christian, Jew, hetero and pro abortion, gay, moslem, all blanketed with a nice dose of racism and classism.

    Hoagie (4dfb34)

  63. Doesn’t this also kind of prove Obama needs to make sure there is plenty of rancor in Washington, so he always has an excuse for himself?

    MayBee (846936)

  64. Still nary a peep from Sec of State Fwancois. Just like Hillary. Sh*t hits the fan, go into hiding. Incredible.

    Gazzer (c3e343)

  65. gramps, the original (4615a6) — 6/5/2014 @ 10:10 am

    The scuttlebutt from DC was that a promotion to E-6 was in the works from the WH after Bergdahl was re-united with his parents. The WH drove his promotion to E-5 during the discussions of ransoming him in 2011-12, they evidently felt they needed the justification of freeing a Non-Com instead of an Enlisted Man.

    askeptic (8ecc78)

  66. this is why his propaganda whores work so hard to create rancor where none exists

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  67. BTW, has Bob Gates spoken up about this yet?

    askeptic (8ecc78)

  68. I smell Valerie Jarrett’s stinky finger all over this psychopath business. After all, she’s been advising the biggest psychopath this country has ever seen.

    Funeral Guy (afbf7b)

  69. Did you know he served in Vietnam, gazzer?

    narciso (3fec35)

  70. CDM (03a69a) — 6/5/2014 @ 11:25 am

    NOTE to all AMBASSADORS:
    Never take off that Swallow-Tailed Morning Coat, as you will then be out-of-uniform.

    askeptic (8ecc78)

  71. @70
    In best Johhny Carson voice ” I did not know that”

    Gazzer (c3e343)

  72. Excuse me for asking, but acronyms keep getting more and more obscure. What is SCOMAF and what is JEF?

    Funeral Guy (afbf7b)

  73. FG
    You are a little out on the first one as it is
    Supreme clusterf*ck of a miserable failure.
    The second is Jug eared F*ck.
    Another you may come across is TFG, which is simply That F*cking Guy.
    Many of these have come from Ace.

    Gazzer (c3e343)

  74. Nothing is beneath these vile scum.

    So the non-deserters are crazy but the deserter is sane.

    OK. Putting morality and ethics on its ear.

    Rodney King's Spirit (e9cae7)

  75. What if??????

    If I was enormously endowed, looked by Cary Grant and had Carlos Slim’s billions at 18??

    What if?

    .
    .
    .
    .
    .

    Yes, what if?

    Rodney King's Spirit (e9cae7)

  76. I knew it… Villagers are now saying Bergdahl was “walking around in a haze… like he was high from smoking hashish.”

    https://patterico.com/2014/06/03/from-the-dont-do-stupid-shit-files-nyt-story-paints-bergdahl-as-deserter/#comment-1643255

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  77. War is serious shit. No child’s play. People get hurt, lose limbs and even die. It is the basic sacrifice every true soldier knows he has to make to protect the liberties of those he loves, of the country he loves. This guy can’t take the heat, begging to come home and making everyone suffer for his release. He is not “someone’s kid” anymore, he is now the property of the United States. Bringing him home is not the most important duty of this nation, not at the cost of releasing terrorists back into the fray. The stupidity of this whole debacle is beyond words.

    The Emperor (453a1d)

  78. Swap out the word “platoon” and replace it with “The Obama Administration”. Reads way more accurately.

    Bugg (3a2abd)

  79. War is serious sh*t. No child’s play. People get hurt, lose limbs and even die. It is the basic sacrifice every true soldier knows he has to make to protect the liberties of those he loves, of the country he loves. This guy can’t take the heat, begging to come home and making everyone suffer for his release. He is not “someone’s kid” anymore, he is now the property of the United States. Bringing him home is not the most important duty of this nation, not at the cost of releasing terrorists back into the fray. The stupidity of this whole debacle is beyond words.

    The Emperor (3c91e7)

  80. StutteringCOAMF…

    redc1c4, moron in good standing (abd49e)

  81. #50: The reports said that he left AFTER his watch was over, not during.

    Kevin M (56aae1)

  82. I confirm the “stuttering” as do most of his audiences.

    SarahW (267b14)

  83. Oops Red, you are correct. Brain fart on my end.

    Gazzer (c3e343)

  84. 81- Doesn’t matter, he left not intending to come back –
    that’s Desertion.
    And the enemy was ‘outside the wire’ –
    that’s Desertion in the face of the enemy.
    Plus, he sought out the enemy, not to kill them, but to collaborate with them –
    that’s Giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

    TREASON!

    askeptic (8ecc78)

  85. The reports said that he left AFTER his watch was over, not during.

    So he left his rifle and other affects with the soldier who relieved him? I hadn’t heard that!

    Hadoop (f7d5ba)

  86. what Ear Leader and his fellow idiots likely hasn’t figured out yet is that the military HAS to at least go through the motions of prosecuting this POS or the good order & discipline of the military will be in grave jeopardy. (or maybe they did think of this and that’s their ultimate goal, but since none of them have served, someone in uniform would have to break it down to them). as i wrote on FB earlier this week:

    given the WH has already proclaimed him a hero, and many reports say they won’t be any charges, etc, brought against shithead, they’re going to have a hell of a time ever prosecuting anyone for AWOL/Desertion if they don’t go through the entire process with him.

    can’t you just hear the JAG defense rep?

    “you want to give my client a Art.15 and take rank & pay because he was gone a week? Bergdhal went over to the enemy, stayed with them five years, and you promoted him while he was giving them information used to kill and injure Americans, and then you just sent him home. My guy was in a hotel drinking and screwing his girlfriend, not bothering anyone…”

    i ran this by an officer i served with back in the day, who is still in and who is a lawyer, and he totally agreed with my musings. if he hadn’t gone on AD this week, he would have written about it himself, since his net presence is a bit larger than mine.

    redc1c4 (abd49e)

  87. from various sources, the Idaho Taliban was off duty when he went over the wall, during the darkest part of the night, and left all his issue gear behind, taking only a soft backpack, some water, a writing tablet and a digital camera.

    he had previously sent all his personal gear home prior to being sent out to this location, which was to be the unit’s last trip there. his desertion was premeditated, which makes it, and his actions that followed all the more egregious.

    to paraphrase the esteemed Marshal Cogburn, he deserves a fair trial and a fine hanging.

    redc1c4 (abd49e)

  88. Has anyone seen the tape of Eddie Slovik’s father telling Ike” Heil Hitler.”

    mg (31009b)

  89. These documents must have been for real at some moment in time.
    http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2339B

    mg (31009b)

  90. The Federal Constitution, Article 3, Section 3, defines treason and its punishment.

    Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

    The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

    The strict definition of treason specifies acts of “levying War against (the people of the United States), or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.”

    In Ex Parte Bollman, 8 U.S. 75 (1807), SCOTUS ruled there must be an actual assembling of men, for the treasonable purpose, to constitute a levying of war.

    In Federalist #43 James Madison commented directly on the Treason Clause:

    As treason may be committed against the United States, the authority of the United States ought to be enabled to punish it. But as new-fangled and artificial treasons have been the great engines by which violent factions, the natural offspring of free government, have usually wreaked their alternate malignity on each other, the (Constitutional) convention have, with great judgment, opposed a barrier to this peculiar danger, by inserting a constitutional definition of the crime, fixing the proof necessary for conviction of it, and restraining the Congress, even in punishing it, from extending the consequences of guilt beyond the person of its author.

    More recently, William J Oslon’s Amicus brief in the case of Hedges v Obama observed Article 3’s treason clause (included in the Constitution as one of the federal government’s enumerated powers) demonstrated the founders fully intended that such an important function remained always subject to judicial review, which consequently prohibited treason trials for civilians from being conducted by military tribunals. (A protection which was most notably ignored in the prosecution of those accused of Lincoln’t assassination.)

    ropelight (47baa2)

  91. It’s bad enough Americans were dumb enough to vote for this fraud and his cronies in Congress once. But after the second time, I realized the problem isn’t these crooks. The problem is a population who have no moral values, don’t care that the economy is wrecked for generations, and don’t give a hoot that America is the laughing stock of a more dangerous world than ever before.

    And I’d be willing to bet my (now nearly) last dollar that these crooks and frauds in Congress will be re-elected once again. The evil in this world doesn’t rest, only the people.

    dc (685527)

  92. ropelight (47baa2) — 6/5/2014 @ 3:28 pm

    Wasn’t DC under the control of a military-governor during the Civil War?
    Had civilian authority been restored at the time of Lincoln’s assassination?

    askeptic (8ecc78)

  93. dc (685527) — 6/5/2014 @ 4:03 pm

    Only one Member of Congress, or Senator, running for re-election has so far been denied renomination.

    askeptic (8ecc78)

  94. Tie me Taliban down, sport
    Tie me Taliban down

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  95. that outburst in Brussels, is Billy Madison worthy,

    we’re talking about letting loose, Mullah Omar’s kitchen cabinets, the ones that plunged Afghanistan, in a paroxysm of violence

    narciso (3fec35)

  96. #90… more like Cunning Stunt, nk and the Obama administration was made to look like some Stunning…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  97. So when one traitorous deserter soldier’s life is allegedly in immediate danger in Afghanistan, Obama insists he has to ACT NOW !!!!!1!!1!! in order to save his life, and then is happy to talk about it every day for a week.

    But when our Ambassador in Benghazi (and others) are in immediate danger, the only ACT NOW !!!!!!!1!!!1!! action Obama takes is in putting on his pajamas as he goes to bed. Then refuses to discuss it.

    Or something.

    Elephant Stone (6a6f37)

  98. Can’t the man get any rest before setting off for a round of arduous fund-raising?

    askeptic (8ecc78)

  99. Obama finally found a serviceman he can honor—a deserter who converted to Islam.

    Elephant Stone (6a6f37)

  100. I am waiting to hear how Boooosh made him do it !

    Alastor (e7cb73)

  101. Charles Johnson (“the bad Charles Johnson”), proprietor of Little Green Footballs Psychos, is going full speed ahead to push the narrative that it’s all just a fake !!!!!!1!!!!! scandal.
    A smear campaign !!!!!!1!!

    Elephant Stone (6a6f37)

  102. 92. …And I’d be willing to bet my (now nearly) last dollar that these crooks and frauds in Congress will be re-elected once again. The evil in this world doesn’t rest, only the people.

    dc (685527) — 6/5/2014 @ 4:03 pm

    On the bright side, it’s only worth about what a nickel used to be. So you’re not out all that much.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  103. put your head up in,
    pull your head back out,
    put your head back in,
    you twist it all about
    you do the b’rackobama
    Then you go play golf
    that’s what it’s all about… hey!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  104. I think some of you guys just don’t like Bergdahl because he’s black.
    If he were a white guy, you’d be cheering his homecoming.
    Or something.

    Elephant Stone (6a6f37)

  105. As the heat builds up on this, Obama is gonna do what Obama does under such circumstances: (1) Blame George Bush. (2). Resurrect a precedence. (3) force a senior official to fall on the sword and resign. (4) throw Bergdahl under the bus.

    The Emperor (3db71b)

  106. How does one clear this table, it’s unlikely you could go a drone strike to take out all five figure, in Doha, Volodya had it done with one high Chechen official, back in 2004

    narciso (3fec35)

  107. What can I say, ES? My White privilege is showing. I still resent the time when a strong black man in the form of a Marine DI hurricaned my room at AOCS. Didn’t he get he memo?

    I have written the White Privilege committe about this, but I still haven’t received a satisfactory answer.

    But I denounce myself anyway, preemptively.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  108. Which is the only possible reason I could oppose socialized medicine. Racism. I was traumatized by a black dude who didn’t respect my privilege.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  109. Doesn’t this also kind of prove Obama needs to make sure there is plenty of rancor in Washington, so he always has an excuse for himself?

    MayBee (846936) — 6/5/2014 @ 11:26 am

    This is an excellent point. He always tries to hold himself out as a centrists, longing to work with the other side, who is simply too unreasonable and just a little bit racist and can’t bring themselves to support his policies, which mirror policies they used to endorse. He just lies lies lies lies lies. And the MFM provides cover for him.

    This one is so transparent that even the media can’t help too much. This was awful.

    JD (3bc90e)

  110. Category error is rarely this profound, (h/t Taranto)

    The left’s blinkered view of military culture is perhaps best summarized by Elias Isquith, a young writer for Salon.com, who yesterday explained the backlash against the Bergdahl deal as follows: “When a member of the military fails to adhere to the far right’s rigid formula of what a soldier should be (nationalistic, religious, obedient; conservative) right-wingers . . . come down on them [sic] like a ton of bricks.” He cited one example in addition to Bergdahl: John Kerry.

    narciso (3fec35)

  111. Only one Member of Congress, or Senator, running for re-election has so far been denied renomination.

    Unsurprising, they usually have all the cards. Many more, however, are denied re-election in the general. I would hope that people can accept the primary results and move on to getting Democrats out of office, rather than continue to flog dead horses.

    Kevin M (b357ee)

  112. I think some of you guys just don’t like Bergdahl because he’s black.

    Black Caucasian™

    Kevin M (b357ee)

  113. Pat Tillman was flaky as all get-out and the right loved him more than pickles

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  114. narciso, all I can say is that the Occupy! crowd that went six figures into debt and got their degrees in Medieval French Lit or Cinem-ahh deserve every minute they’re going to have to endure working it off with some SEABEE or Army or Air Force engineer who opened a construction company after he or she got out.

    Steve57 (61329d)

  115. Well it’s interesting about Tillman, he had given up much to go into the Army, there are some accounts he had become cynical about the mission, he died in a tragic accident, but the left
    couldn’t leave it at that,

    narciso (3fec35)

  116. The latest, latest story I’ve heard is that the Taliban demanded things be kept hush-hush, i.e., don’t tell Congress, or we’ll kill him…

    FWIW, I do not know if it is because we know someone directly involved in the Bergdahl aftermath, but people in my circles who normally don’t pay much attention to uproars about Obama are seriously thinking about this one and wondering what the heck was he thinking.

    MD in Philly (f9371b)

  117. plus the right adopted those clinton state department mercenaries in benghazi like they were the second coming of… Pat Tillman

    the right sets the bar really really high in these matters

    even a deserting traitorous brb i have to find myself loser like bergdork still draws considerable sympathy, according to some clickings I’ve done

    I think most of the ire is at food stamp for letting his terrorist friends run and play

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  118. Mr. Dr. people are very confuzzled

    let me be clear

    the provision to notify congress just meant that the congresswhores had to be notified – it didn’t give them a veto or any mechanism with which to intervene, and to the extent that it allowed them to express concerns to the food stampers and the military, that is precisely what the law was intended to do

    what happened is that food stamp didn’t want to tell anyone cause he didn’t want camera whores like Meghan’s coward daddy stealing his triumphant moment

    lol

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  119. Really pikachu, you know how many missions, Doherty and Woods, had between them in Afghanistan and Iraq, or the other members of the GRS contingent, military contractors are less hamstrung by stupid rules written by idiot bureaucrats, with degrees in fiction, and the like,

    Congress would have rightly said, no, the CIA would have said something not printable in a family blog,

    narciso (3fec35)

  120. President sfb released his comrades.
    And got away with it.

    mg (31009b)

  121. Well Maverick in retrospect, does reveal himself to be exceedingly foolish (the Hasting’s piece)
    how bad a deal was this, the Solon of Scranton didn’t sign on to it, he didn’t oppose it either, he was just splunge,

    narciso (3fec35)

  122. i’m not smellin what you’re sellin Mr. narciso about the mercenaries

    but again, Congress didn’t get a veto, and it’s highly unlikely bordering on unthinkable that any congresswhore would’ve gone public

    congresswhores don’t like to shoulder that kind of responsibility

    it’s a thing

    they were just to be given a head’s up and some assurances we weren’t releasing anyone dangerous

    and food stamp failed cause he wanted another feel good bin laden moment after the cadets at west point told him to gfh

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  123. This seems to be all about releasing the Taliban from Gitmo, and they were gonna do it come hell or high water.

    This whole incident highlights how Obama is unwilling to allow for even the possibility of honest disagreement with his vast wisdom and unique judgment.

    JD (3bc90e)

  124. Yes it’s his ‘precious’, he made a stupid promise 5 1/2 years and he feels obliged to keep it unlike say ‘you can keep your doctor’ mind you it’s like promising to open all the tiger cages, hint, don’t do it, nevertheless, he wanted everyone to forget the VA fustercluck for a spell, Mission Accomplished,

    narciso (3fec35)

  125. that means holder and various other fascist and corrupt depa5rtment of justice whores were an integral part of this process, no?

    holder’s name hasn’t come up much

    he owes susan lying whore rice a really nice bottle of wine

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  126. *department* of justice i mean

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  127. I am always amused when the President says Washington is the problem. Says the former Senator and President of the United States.

    Ag80 (eb6ffa)

  128. #126… well, JD, Obama was the moronic sonuva bitch he was waiting for.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  129. We had a prisoner of war whose health had deteriorated

    This wasn’t true, according to any reporters who have managed to speak to his any of his doctors or caretakers who have leaked, and according to pictures – they’ll keep him confined for quite some time – this is not Obama, this is protocol now, all this worry about PTSD and so on.

    It was not true, but it was a concern, and and an important factor in the internal debate in Washington that the Qataris and the Taliban knew about, thanks probably to moles, but also to being outright told, and they carefully constructed a video that made Bergdahl look really bad, and the
    Taliban (or their Qatari spokesmen) told the U.S. they were worried about Bergdahl’s survival.

    Sammy Finkelman (8ab807)

  130. Bergdahl won’t receive any hero’s welcome when he gets to his people. Maybe because he is a deserting, treacherous, islamic, Taliban-helping POS. I don’t know.

    The Emperor (4efdcc)

  131. While Brandon Friedman is a slanderous douchebag, I was browsing some of his other tweets, and this one caught my eye. It’s a great point.

    https://twitter.com/BFriedmanDC/status/473242725899567105/photo/1

    carlitos (e7c734)

  132. This is a “scandal whipped up in Washington.” That is about as basic as the “child” references. Isn’t everything critical of Obama a scandal whipped up in Washington? I guess references to children are always good and those to Washington are always bad.

    AZ Bob (533fbc)

  133. Now, in order to save his own skin yet again, Obastard is going to have to trash the reputations of six good men. Here is where we find out just how unprincipled he is.

    creeper (479e9d)

  134. TIME Magazine:

    Their presence at the White House on Saturday was the apparent product of coincidence: the couple had visited the capitol for a Memorial Day event and then stayed in town for meetings in Congress. Had they been at home in Idaho when the deal was announced, they likely would not have flown to Washington to appear with Obama—and a key visual element of the drama, replayed endlessly on television, might not have occurred.

    Memorial Day was a whole week in advance.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  135. The chronology is a little bit like this:

    About Thursday May 15 – AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE

    Friday May 23 – Officials travel to Qatar to work out arrangements.

    Monday may 26 – Memorial Day, 2014

    Tuesday May 27 – Obama calls the Emir of Qatar and thanks him, among other things.

    Wednesday May 29 Inspector General of Department of Veterans Affairs releases a preliminary report confirming hidden wait times at many VA Hospitals. The preliminary report deliberatly did not yet look into whether anybody died as a result.

    Thursday May 30- Many Democrats call for Shinseki to resign.

    Friday May 31 – Shinseki is resigns.

    Saturday May 31 – Obama, appearing with Bergdahl’s parents, announces Bergdahl is free, and that an exchange of prisoners has bene worked out with the Taliban. 15 minutes before hgis announbcementm members of the Intelligence Committee are informed.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  136. More Qatar chronology: (mostly from Sat New York Times)

    June 2013: Taliban given a building in Doha, Qatar, at the corner of al Shabi and Ibn Manzour Streets, in the West Bay diplomatic section of the city, officially for possible peace talks with the U.S., hoist a flag, and propose the exchange of Bergdahl for the 5 Taliban commanders already discussed a year before. Afghanistan President Karzai complains they are acting like an emnassy. Talks do not start.

    Also June 2013: Sheik Hamid bin Khalifa al Thani suddenly abdicates in favor of his son Tamid bin Hamid al Thani, and the long time holder of the jobs of Prime Minister and Foreign Minister resigns. Not all that much changes.

    March 2014: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates recall their ambassadors from Qatar to protest Qatari foreign policy, including their support of the Moslem Brotherhood.

    January to April 2014: Prince Bandar gets sidelined in Saudi Arabia, officially leaves job as head of Saudi intelligence April 15, but seems to hve been out of the picture since about January. He is also moved further away from the throne, because a successor to the Crown Prince is named. This is probably related to some events.

    circa April 2014: TThe Taliban stop using their building. Only a Qatari police officer remains stationed there. All of the known Taliban officials in Doha begin disconnecting or changing their phone numbers. The only one not to do so is Shuheil Shaheen, the official spokesman, but even he has not answered his phone for weeks now.

    Sammy Finkelman (8ab807)

  137. Bergdahl went from gung ho to deserting.

    Army claimed he wandered ff base other times. Not true. He only went to where the Afghan police they were trainng were staying, which was outside the wire, up a hill. Two Afghan police (not three) disappeared the same day. (Taliban double agents?)

    Sammy Finkelman (8ab807)

  138. New York Times 9:15 pm tonight EDT:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/08/us/after-release-from-taliban-bowe-bergdahl-suffers-from-skin-and-gum-disorders-but-is-physically-sound.html?

    WASHINGTON — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has told medical officials that his captors locked him in a metal cage in total darkness for weeks at a time as punishment for trying to escape, and while military doctors say he now is physically able to travel he is not yet emotionally ready for the pressures of reuniting with his family, according to American officials who have been briefed on his condition.

    Sammy Finkelman (8ab807)


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