General Discussion

kentuck

(111,082 posts) Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:24 PM Jun 2014

Why did former soldiers in Bergdahl's platoon wait so long to go to the press with the story??

If it was so important to them, why did they not go to the press before FOX could find them??
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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/gop-strategists-interviews-bergdahl

<snip>
As Gawker pointed out, Full is an unabashed conservative, using his Twitter account in the past to criticize a "libtard" and mock those who advocate a minimum wage hike.

Full and Cornelison weren't the only soldiers to speak out on Monday.

Nathan Bradley Bethea, who said he served in Bergdahl's unit, wrote a scathing piece for the Daily Beast in which he called the POW a "deserter" and said his fellow "soldiers died trying to track him down."

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Why did former soldiers in Bergdahl's platoon wait so long to go to the press with the story?? (Original Post) kentuck Jun 2014 OP

Why do I keep getting the impression that this was an atypical soldier among Squinch Jun 2014 #1

Swiftboating Bergdahl...... global1 Jun 2014 #3

Yeah, but I still don't feel like I have seen any account of the circumstances of him Squinch Jun 2014 #6

It is my understanding that they were orderd to not discuss the situation as long as he was a POW. Jenoch Jun 2014 #2

But their statements would have been part of Bergdahl's investigation, and Repubs TwilightGardener Jun 2014 #5

You seem to be making many assumptions. Jenoch Jun 2014 #10

It's not assumptions, it's common sense. It's how the military operates. TwilightGardener Jun 2014 #11

"...spent five years in a presumable hell." Jenoch Jun 2014 #13

I dunno. But I freely assume/presume Bergdahl is coming back from TwilightGardener Jun 2014 #14

They were waiting for John Bolton and that Fox tool Grenell malaise Jun 2014 #4

They were ordered to be silent JJChambers Jun 2014 #7

They are being professionally coordinated to attack Bergdahl NOW riderinthestorm Jun 2014 #8

the news accounts i read said there was a gag order until now. nt m-lekktor Jun 2014 #9

Its about discrediting him BEFORE he blows what was actually going on there...? Maybe? nt kelliekat44 Jun 2014 #12

More about painting a portrait of him as a dubious reason for the prisoner swap. TwilightGardener Jun 2014 #15

Squinch

(50,949 posts)

1. Why do I keep getting the impression that this was an atypical soldier among

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:37 PM

Jun 2014

a unit of people who don't tolerate "atypical" very well?

Platoon members said Sergeant Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, was known as bookish and filled with romantic notions that some found odd.
“He wouldn’t drink beer or eat barbecue and hang out with the other 20-year-olds,” Cody Full, another member of Sergeant Bergdahl’s platoon, said in an interview on Monday also arranged by Republican strategists. “He was always in his bunk. He ordered Rosetta Stone for all the languages there, learning Dari and Arabic and Pashto.”

The Republicans jumped on this story with the "Obama broke the law" nonsense, and then seemed to find these guys willing to badmouth this guy.

There is something we aren't hearing here.

global1

(25,242 posts)

3. Swiftboating Bergdahl......

Reply to Squinch (Reply #1)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:42 PM

Jun 2014

Same M.O.

Squinch

(50,949 posts)

6. Yeah, but I still don't feel like I have seen any account of the circumstances of him

Reply to global1 (Reply #3)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:48 PM

Jun 2014

leaving his unit. You'd think ALL the news reports would include that if not lead with it. But nothing, except these guys' reactions to his leaving.

Then too, the wording of the complaints is always careful and weaselly. Something is missing about this.

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)

2. It is my understanding that they were orderd to not discuss the situation as long as he was a POW.

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:41 PM

Jun 2014

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

5. But their statements would have been part of Bergdahl's investigation, and Repubs

Reply to Jenoch (Reply #2)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:47 PM

Jun 2014

in Congress knew that. Were they briefed or interviewed by the Army to give their account of Bergdahl's behavior? If they weren't, then they either kept silent about what they knew until now (which is pretty awful), or they were not deemed to be close enough to the situation to be credible. They can be angry all they want, but there will be proceedings against Bergdahl in the future in which they can trash him. Why do it while he's in a hospital in Germany? Not cool.

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)

10. You seem to be making many assumptions.

Reply to TwilightGardener (Reply #5)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 05:54 PM

Jun 2014

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

11. It's not assumptions, it's common sense. It's how the military operates.

Reply to Jenoch (Reply #10)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:04 PM

Jun 2014

They would extensively debrief all who would have had knowledge of the situation. Now here's an assumption that is proving true: some soldiers are being recruited by the GOP to make the case against Bergdahl as surrogates for the cowardly GOP Congress--in very cynical and exploitative way--BEFORE Bergdahl even actually makes the trip home. This is because the GOP and its media arms don't want to be accused of publicly attacking a POW who is possibly ill, hasn't yet been able to defend himself, and spent five years in a presumable hell.

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)

13. "...spent five years in a presumable hell."

Reply to TwilightGardener (Reply #11)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:28 PM

Jun 2014

Isn't presuming and assuming basically the same?

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

14. I dunno. But I freely assume/presume Bergdahl is coming back from

Reply to Jenoch (Reply #13)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:32 PM

Jun 2014

his captivity with a whole lot of bad experiences under his belt. I guess we'll find out when he can speak for himself.

malaise

(268,952 posts)

4. They were waiting for John Bolton and that Fox tool Grenell

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:45 PM

Jun 2014

Follow the money
Grenell served as a spokesman for former U.N. ambassador (and current Fox News contributor) John Bolton in the George W. Bush administration, and also worked for a short time on the Romney 2012 campaign.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/06/03/fox-news-contributor-behind-pr-campaign-for-sol/199565

JJChambers

(1,115 posts)

7. They were ordered to be silent

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:52 PM

Jun 2014

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)

8. They are being professionally coordinated to attack Bergdahl NOW

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:53 PM

Jun 2014

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025044161

A PR firm has been hired to launch the smear campaign

Despicable

m-lekktor

(3,675 posts)

9. the news accounts i read said there was a gag order until now. nt

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:53 PM

Jun 2014

kelliekat44

(7,759 posts)

12. Its about discrediting him BEFORE he blows what was actually going on there...? Maybe? nt

Reply to kentuck (Original post)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:11 PM

Jun 2014

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

15. More about painting a portrait of him as a dubious reason for the prisoner swap.

Reply to kelliekat44 (Reply #12)

Tue Jun 3, 2014, 06:35 PM

Jun 2014

But there was no other way to plausibly get him safely home after 5 years, and the GOP knows it. That's why the smear campaign is so cynical and cowardly.

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