Bergdahl Prisoner Swap

[Gaspar]

Guess we will just have to wait and see what facts actually do exist.  

After all, even Kerry found supporters against the "Swift Boat Teabaggers"....from people who actually served with him.  Oh, wait....what?


After, of course, the Faux News propaganda machine is shown to be their normal selves....

Oh, they just keep making it worse.  First Susan Rice goes out again to the Sunday shows with a list of talking points that the White House has to scramble to "clarify" and then other members of the administration take to social media with all kinds of bizarre spin, including implying that Bergdahl's fellow soldiers may be "psychopaths."

Brandon Friedman is the president's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Why he is even commenting on this stuff I have no idea.  It seems our president as surrounded himself with a rush of fools rabid to defend the administration's incompetence at all costs. 

He has now scrubbed his twitter and tumbler accounts.  He had also made derogatory comments about veterans complaining about VA waiting times.

[heironymouspasparagus]

McCain would probably not be the best example since: 1) He was not alleged to be a deserter; 2) He refused repatriation if his fellow POWs were not released (noticed, I said POW); and 3) He did comment on this, at least as this article claims.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2014/06/03/john-mccainthe-most-disingenuous-hypocritical-member-of-the-senate-or-simply-unfit-to-serve/

As for reporting to Congress, so you think Obama is somehow relieved of his statutory duty to report or give notice to Congress? He didn't even tell DiFi. BTW, he did notify with the bin Laden raid, months and months in advance. Did Faux News blurt it out, thereby warning bin Laden of what was coming? Um, no.

 Which side are you supporting here??  The McCain that says it was a bad deal, or the one that said - 3 months ago - that we SHOULD do the deal - in the same article??    Pick one....


As for Congress getting notified - well, they started talking hot and heavy about this with Congress in 2010, and were in direct contact through Dec 2012 - one would have to wonder why that would not be considered notification....?  And way more than 1 month ahead of time.  (Yeah, I know....that would be "off-script" for the RWRE....)

And given the fact that we are very likely to be releasing all the gitmo guys within the next 6 to 12 months - at least if we follow our own law - please give a specific idea of how it would have been better handled...I would really love to hear this!!  Especially given the fact that there would be NO leverage to bargain with after that point, resulting in the situation where all the gitmo's are gone and Bergdahl is still prisoner.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Brandon Friedman is the president's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Why he is even commenting on this stuff I have no idea.  It seems our president as surrounded himself with a rush of fools rabid to defend the administration's incompetence at all costs. 

Why is Faux Non-News media PR firm commenting on this stuff?  They have no more information than this guy.

[Conan71]

 Which side are you supporting here??  The McCain that says it was a bad deal, or the one that said - 3 months ago - that we SHOULD do the deal - in the same article??    Pick one....


As for Congress getting notified - well, they started talking hot and heavy about this with Congress in 2010, and were in direct contact through Dec 2012 - one would have to wonder why that would not be considered notification....?  And way more than 1 month ahead of time.  (Yeah, I know....that would be "off-script" for the RWRE....)

And given the fact that we are very likely to be releasing all the gitmo guys within the next 6 to 12 months - at least if we follow our own law - please give a specific idea of how it would have been better handled...I would really love to hear this!!  Especially given the fact that there would be NO leverage to bargain with after that point, resulting in the situation where all the gitmo's are gone and Bergdahl is still prisoner.

"Talking about" and "direct notification" pending release of prisoners 30 days in advance are two completely different things.  The administration did not even tell those they were supposed to until AFTER the exchange had taken place. 

That would be like me showing up at a client's facility last week and start ripping out a boiler with no prior notice because we talked about possibly replacing their boiler system four years ago.

[heironymouspasparagus]

"Talking about" and "direct notification" pending release of prisoners 30 days in advance are two completely different things.  The administration did not even tell those they were supposed to until AFTER the exchange had taken place. 

That would be like me showing up at a client's facility last week and start ripping out a boiler with no prior notice because we talked about possibly replacing their boiler system four years ago.

Maybe.  We don't know what took place in those discussions.  I suspect the 30 day thing was glossed over in this case - missed by screw-offs in the admin (you know how I feel generally feel about Obama...he is the big screw-off for many reasons) - but that is just another one of those things we don't know yet.


Boiler - possibly, depending on how those talks went.  If instead you had been given a contract and showed up 18 months later, different story.  Dec 2012 was not 4 years ago.

[Conan71]

Maybe.  We don't know what took place in those discussions.  I suspect the 30 day thing was glossed over in this case - missed by screw-offs in the admin (you know how I feel generally feel about Obama...he is the big screw-off for many reasons) - but that is just another one of those things we don't know yet.


Boiler - possibly, depending on how those talks went.  If instead you had been given a contract and showed up 18 months later, different story.  Dec 2012 was not 4 years ago.

You mentioned talks dating back to 2010.  It doesn't matter if it was four years ago or 1 1/2 years ago.  Obama signed a law six months ago requiring him to notify Congress 30 days prior to releasing anyone from custody at Gitmo.  How do you "gloss" over something like that unless he's even more senile than Reagan was in his waning days in power.  It's an example of "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."  It's one thing when you do that to your parents as a child.  Entirely another when it breaks a Federal law.   

The part that really steams me is the Administration is completely flummoxed by the blow-back.  They thought this would be a shining PR moment in the wake of the VA scandal.  Really?

[patric]

The "No Man Left Behind" statements would almost be laughable if they werent so sad.

He's not been allowed to talk to anyone, including his family.  Perhaps the goal was something not purely humanitarian?  

[heironymouspasparagus]

The "No Man Left Behind" statements would almost be laughable if they werent so sad.

He's not been allowed to talk to anyone, including his family.  Perhaps the goal was something not purely humanitarian?  

Cleaning up loose ends before the end of the year when we have to release these guys for nothing....

[heironymouspasparagus]

You mentioned talks dating back to 2010.  It doesn't matter if it was four years ago or 1 1/2 years ago.  Obama signed a law six months ago requiring him to notify Congress 30 days prior to releasing anyone from custody at Gitmo.  How do you "gloss" over something like that unless he's even more senile than Reagan was in his waning days in power.  It's an example of "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."  It's one thing when you do that to your parents as a child.  Entirely another when it breaks a Federal law.  

The part that really steams me is the Administration is completely flummoxed by the blow-back.  They thought this would be a shining PR moment in the wake of the VA scandal.  Really?

Between 2010 and Dec 2012...possibly more that just haven't been talked about much.  The problem is that every single time there is this kind of huge uproar over anything Obama has done, there is a stack of 5 to 10 times as much "stuff" that Bush did where there was no huge uproar.  Tempest in a teacup...hey, I bet that's why they are called tea-baggers!!

6 months ago - as of 2 Jan 2013.  Close - only one year off.  With signing statements
http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/550698-2013ndaa-stm-rel-pdf.html


And if you wanna go all "signey-statment" on us, start here....
http://www.coherentbabble.com/listGWBall.htm

And Obama's....
http://www.coherentbabble.com/listBHOall.htm

Wow!!  What a difference personal interpretation of the Constitution makes!!

[Cats Cats Cats]

Looks like guido's down with it.

"This guy deserved it" is what I hear from conservatives.

[guido911]

This is the sort of story that does not help, but will rile some folks up. In context, this could evidence Stockholm syndrome.

U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl at one point during his captivity converted to Islam, fraternized openly with his captors and declared himself a "mujahid," or warrior for Islam, according to secret documents prepared on the basis of a purported eyewitness account and obtained by Fox News.

The reports indicate that Bergdahl's relations with his Haqqani captors morphed over time, from periods of hostility, where he was treated very much like a hostage, to periods where, as one source told Fox News, "he became much more of an accepted fellow" than is popularly understood. He even reportedly was allowed to carry a gun at times.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/05/exclusive-bergdahl-declared-jihad-in-2010-secret-documents-show/

[guido911]

Between 2010 and Dec 2012...possibly more that just haven't been talked about much.  The problem is that every single time there is this kind of huge uproar over anything Obama has done, there is a stack of 5 to 10 times as much "stuff" that Bush did where there was no huge uproar.  Tempest in a teacup...hey, I bet that's why they are called tea-baggers!!

6 months ago - as of 2 Jan 2013.  Close - only one year off.  With signing statements
http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/550698-2013ndaa-stm-rel-pdf.html


And if you wanna go all "signey-statment" on us, start here....
http://www.coherentbabble.com/listGWBall.htm

And Obama's....
http://www.coherentbabble.com/listBHOall.htm

Wow!!  What a difference personal interpretation of the Constitution makes!!

Your Soros-ian master has caused you to either change the subject or move the goal posts. This is what Obama PROMISED as to signing statements.

It should not matter the difference between the number of Obama's signing statements and any other president.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Your Soros-ian master has caused you to either change the subject or move the goal posts. This is what Obama PROMISED as to signing statements.


It should not matter the difference between the number of Obama's signing statements and any other president.

You gotta be kidding.... Soros??
He and his buddies (like Bloomberg) pledged $175 million to fight FOR gun control.....  Really?  Have you not paid any attention at all??

Perhaps a "chill pill" is in order...??      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v98BJMDDfFY&index=15&list=PL8B3018E27F2455A6
With a twist of good Jamaican bud.....it has been a long time since I visited the Rockies - and what better excuse than today's social conditions?


As for the rest - well, it's all about the perspective.  I certainly haven't said Obama is correct with what he did.  In the overall scheme of things, it is proportionally much less.  I think the pots should not be calling the kettles anything at all.....

[guido911]

So your masters are both Soros and Bloomberg. Okay. Sorosian and Bloombergian plots are behind your posts.

[heironymouspasparagus]

So your masters are both Soros and Bloomberg. Okay. Sorosian and Bloombergian plots are behind your posts.

Only because you are blinded by the right.....


As for the RWRE - and the LWRE;

It is discouraging to talk with men who will recognize no principles. How little use is made of reason in this world! You argue with a man for an hour, he agrees with you step by step, you are approaching a triumphant conclusion, you think that you have converted him, but, ah, no, he has a habit, he takes a pinch of snuff, he remembers that he entertained a different opinion at the commencement of the controversy, and his reverence for the past compels him to reiterate it now. You began at the butt of the pole to curve it, you gradually bent it round according to rule, and planted the other end in the ground, and already in imagination saw the vine curling round this segment of an arbor, under which a new generation was to recreate itself, but when you had done, it sprang back to its former stubborn and unhandsome position like a bit of whalebone.