The Left and Right Are Both Wrong About Obama’s Bergdahl Prison Swap

Posted by | June 3, 2014 16:45 | Filed under: Politics Top Stories

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The surprise release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl this past weekend has become the dominant story of this week’s news cycle, but while there is significant disagreement about the merits of the prisoner swap that led to Bergdahl’s release, everyone seems to agree on one thing: this is a great opportunity to attack President Obama over signing statements. Republicans fret that the President violated the law by failing to give Congress 30 days notice for the transfer of Gitmo detainees, while liberals wonder why Obama doesn’t just ignore the law and release the rest of the prisoners at Guantánamo Bay.

The Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange  is genuinely a complicated issue to hash out, on a number of levels. That complexity has led to the weird spectacle of administration opponents expressing gratitude at Sgt. Bergdahl’s return, while in the next breath explaining why he should have been left to die. It has also led to the weird spectacle of critics accusing the President of negotiating with terrorists, and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel insisting that because the government of Qatar acted as intermediary, there was no negotiation. The politically unsaleable truth is that we did negotiate with the Taliban, but that, for purposes of that negotiation, they weren’t really terrorists. They were an enemy force holding a U.S. prisoner of war.

There is also  legitimate angst about the circumstances surrounding Bergdahl’s capture, versus the cost to return him home. There is intense debate over allegations that Bergdahl was captured while AWOL, or even deserting, and bitterness about the lives lost trying to recover him. The White House, with the exception of National Security Advisor Susan Rice, has been cautious about glorifying Bergdahl’s service. During Saturday’s announcement of Bergdahl’s release, President Obama conspicuously praised everyone but Bowe Bergdahl for their courage and sacrifice, but Rice, in an appearance on ABC’s This Week, said that Bergdahl “served with honor and distinction.”

At Monday’s White House daily briefing, outgoing Press Secretary Jay Carney was asked, repeatedly, if the White House stood by Rice’s assessment, and Carney essentially responded “Squirrel!”…READ MORE

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Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Tommy Christopher

Tommy Christopher is The Daily Banter's White House Correspondent and Political Analyst. He's been a political reporter and liberal commentator since 2007, and has covered the White House since the beginning of the Obama administration, first for PoliticsDaily, and then for Mediaite. Christopher is a frequent guest on a variety of television, radio, and online programs, and was the villain in the documentaries The Audacity of Democracy and Hating Breitbart. He's also That Guy Who Live-Tweeted His Own Heart Attack, and the only person to have ever received public apologies from both Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.

28 responses to The Left and Right Are Both Wrong About Obama’s Bergdahl Prison Swap

  1. granpa.usthai June 3rd, 2014 at 16:55

    The US Military gives you TWO Promotions in Rank for desertion?

    • BanditBasheert June 3rd, 2014 at 17:39

      I’m sorry – did we all miss his trial? The last I heard, this guy was in the hospital. Did the trial happen and we all missed it? Or is it just that he doesn’t deserve a trial?
      What is your problem?
      Do you not have confidence that our own military can handle one man who was held as a POW for 5 years? What about John McCain? His record in the Hanoi Hilton was beyond questionable. We negotiated for those POW releases.

      • Shades June 3rd, 2014 at 18:07

        I think Granpa was being snarky.

        • Dwendt44 June 4th, 2014 at 00:31

          I would think so. As it is, the Army promotes on a schedule. There may be tests or achievement goals, but promotions are all but automatic under most circumstances.

  2. granpa.usthai June 3rd, 2014 at 16:55

    The US Military gives you TWO Promotions in Rank for desertion?

    • BanditBasheert June 3rd, 2014 at 17:39

      I’m sorry – did we all miss his trial? The last I heard, this guy was in the hospital. Did the trial happen and we all missed it? Or is it just that he doesn’t deserve a trial?
      What is your problem?
      Do you not have confidence that our own military can handle one man who was held as a POW for 5 years? What about John McCain? His record in the Hanoi Hilton was beyond questionable. We negotiated for those POW releases.

      • Shades June 3rd, 2014 at 18:07

        I think Granpa was being snarky.

        • Dwendt44 June 4th, 2014 at 00:31

          I would think so. As it is, the Army promotes on a schedule. There may be tests or achievement goals, but promotions are all but automatic under most circumstances.

  3. Debra Watkins June 3rd, 2014 at 17:05

    No worries, the failure to notify congress was just an oversight.

    The White House has apologized to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for failing to alert her in advance of a decision to release Taliban commanders from Guantanamo Bay.

    Feinstein told reporters that she received a call from Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken on Monday evening apologizing for what the administration is calling an “oversight.”

    “I had a call from the White House last night, from Tony Blinken, apologizing for it,” she said.

    “He apologized and said it was an oversight,” she added.

    Feinstein also said leaders of the House and Senate Intelligence panels were almost unanimously against a prisoner trade when it came up in 2011.

    Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/defense/208070-white-house-apologizes-to-senate-intelligence#ixzz33c2dgBuj
    Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

  4. Debra Watkins June 3rd, 2014 at 17:05

    No worries, the failure to notify congress was just an oversight.

    The White House has apologized to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for failing to alert her in advance of a decision to release Taliban commanders from Guantanamo Bay.

    Feinstein told reporters that she received a call from Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken on Monday evening apologizing for what the administration is calling an “oversight.”

    “I had a call from the White House last night, from Tony Blinken, apologizing for it,” she said.

    “He apologized and said it was an oversight,” she added.

    Feinstein also said leaders of the House and Senate Intelligence panels were almost unanimously against a prisoner trade when it came up in 2011.

    Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/defense/208070-white-house-apologizes-to-senate-intelligence#ixzz33c2dgBuj
    Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

  5. Debra Watkins June 3rd, 2014 at 17:08

    No worries, the administration didn’t notify congress because they were worried about Bergdahl.

    Administration officials have said in public that they did not have time to inform Congress of the prisoner swap because Bergdahl’s life was in danger and they did not know how long the Taliban would be willing to wait to finalize the deal.

    The National Defense Authorization Act required the administration to alert Congress of the pending release of prisoners from Guantanamo at least 30 days in advance.

    “The notification to us is important and I think that it would have been a much better thing to do because you do try to work together,” Feinstein said.

    Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/defense/208070-white-house-apologizes-to-senate-intelligence#ixzz33c3WsNGB
    Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

  6. Debra Watkins June 3rd, 2014 at 17:08

    No worries, the administration didn’t notify congress because they were worried about Bergdahl.

    Administration officials have said in public that they did not have time to inform Congress of the prisoner swap because Bergdahl’s life was in danger and they did not know how long the Taliban would be willing to wait to finalize the deal.

    The National Defense Authorization Act required the administration to alert Congress of the pending release of prisoners from Guantanamo at least 30 days in advance.

    “The notification to us is important and I think that it would have been a much better thing to do because you do try to work together,” Feinstein said.

    Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/defense/208070-white-house-apologizes-to-senate-intelligence#ixzz33c3WsNGB
    Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

  7. Debra Watkins June 3rd, 2014 at 17:13

    No worries, Congress was not notified because of the urgency of the situation.

    Carney, peppered with questions at Monday’s briefing about the controversy, suggested there was a narrow window in which to execute the trade — which didn’t allow for seeking the say-so of Congress.

    “It was the judgment of the team and the president that there was enough urgency here to ensure that Sergeant Bergdahl was safely recovered that a 30-day window of hoping that that opportunity remained open was not an option,” Carney said.

    He said there had been “ongoing discussions” about Bergdahl’s case, including with members of Congress, “about at least the possibility of transferring these five detainees” as part of a deal to get the soldier back.

    “And so, when the opportunity presented itself and we could successfully recover him, we acted quickly to do so,” Carney said.

    • BanditBasheert June 3rd, 2014 at 17:37

      They’ve been talking WITH CONGRESS about this particular case for over 2 years.
      We do not leave our prisoners behind.
      Our military is perfectly capable of dealing with Mr. Bergdahl and his conduct.
      This is all about hating Obama…Bergdahl is simply the latest straw man to attack the President.

      • John Tarter June 3rd, 2014 at 20:06

        No, when the decision is finally made THAT is when the Congress MUST BE NOTIFIED. Funny how that extreme right wing politician Senator Diane Feinstein was intensely upset that her committee was not informed as required by the law.

        • Obewon June 3rd, 2014 at 20:28

          J. T/Wayout can’t you comprehend? Congress was kept informed prior to ‘theFive transferred to Qatar with 1 year travel prohibitions.

          Didn’t Rusty & FNC tell you congress wasn’t in session during final POW extraction negotiations Saturday, Sunday & doesn’t reconvene from “District Sessions” Until Next Monday June 9, 2014? ..Even the right-wing Hill explains it to you…

  8. Debra Watkins June 3rd, 2014 at 17:13

    No worries, Congress was not notified because of the urgency of the situation.

    Carney, peppered with questions at Monday’s briefing about the controversy, suggested there was a narrow window in which to execute the trade — which didn’t allow for seeking the say-so of Congress.

    “It was the judgment of the team and the president that there was enough urgency here to ensure that Sergeant Bergdahl was safely recovered that a 30-day window of hoping that that opportunity remained open was not an option,” Carney said.

    He said there had been “ongoing discussions” about Bergdahl’s case, including with members of Congress, “about at least the possibility of transferring these five detainees” as part of a deal to get the soldier back.

    “And so, when the opportunity presented itself and we could successfully recover him, we acted quickly to do so,” Carney said.

    • BanditBasheert June 3rd, 2014 at 17:37

      They’ve been talking WITH CONGRESS about this particular case for over 2 years.
      We do not leave our prisoners behind.
      Our military is perfectly capable of dealing with Mr. Bergdahl and his conduct.
      This is all about hating Obama…Bergdahl is simply the latest straw man to attack the President.

      • John Tarter June 3rd, 2014 at 20:06

        No, when the decision is finally made THAT is when the Congress MUST BE NOTIFIED. Funny how that extreme right wing politician Senator Diane Feinstein was intensely upset that her committee was not informed as required by the law.

        • Obewon June 3rd, 2014 at 20:28

          J. T/Wayout can’t you comprehend? Congress was kept informed prior to #theFive being transferred to Qatar with 1 year travel prohibitions.

          Didn’t Rusty & FNC tell you congress wasn’t in session during final POW extraction negotiations Saturday, Sunday & doesn’t reconvene from “District Sessions” Until Next Monday June 9, 2014? ..Even Aire’s post from the right-wing Hill explains this is just another faux scandal pipedream, attempting to get your advertising eyeballs, ears and GOP/RNC donations in yet another teabaggathon…

  9. Clearwater1948 June 4th, 2014 at 01:13

    Do you realize the real casualty in this story is the
    president of the United States how anyone would allow the president to be
    placed in such a compromising position, as this is unbelievable? As Charles
    Krauthammer said is important that our country never forgets its own and in our
    general orders if we are captioned will never lose faith with our country there
    is nothing in the general orders that says if you desert our country will do
    nothing in retrieving you. The present made a hard decision and I’m glad I
    didn’t have to make that decision and the repercussions of that decision will
    most likely linger for years. But those who surround the present of the United
    States allowed him to have a photo op in the Rose Garden this is inexcusable.
    The hug the kids in the handshake of the parents was inappropriate knowing very
    well that there was controversy concerning this individual.

  10. Clearwater1948 June 4th, 2014 at 01:13

    Do you realize the real casualty in this story is the
    president of the United States how anyone would allow the president to be
    placed in such a compromising position, as this is unbelievable? As Charles
    Krauthammer said is important that our country never forgets its own and in our
    general orders if we are captioned will never lose faith with our country there
    is nothing in the general orders that says if you desert our country will do
    nothing in retrieving you. The present made a hard decision and I’m glad I
    didn’t have to make that decision and the repercussions of that decision will
    most likely linger for years. But those who surround the present of the United
    States allowed him to have a photo op in the Rose Garden this is inexcusable.
    The hug the kids in the handshake of the parents was inappropriate knowing very
    well that there was controversy concerning this individual.

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