Confounding all of them.

propaganda led by Fox News. And I think the confusion of the Cantor loss has muted the crazy questioning.

They are shell-shocked

Poor things.

He is using his full stature of sec of def to shoot down the rightwing whine. I loved his opening statement about war.

media so hoped for, so compelling was Hagels's testimony, resolute and strident and precise in his answers, polite at the interruptions but not condescending to the point of being mentioned as condescending.

this is too scrumptious to have to wait till the whistle blows at the end of the workday to listen 2...

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/06/11/transcript-hagels-opening-statement-during-testimony-bergdahl-swap

I appreciate the opportunity to discuss the recovery of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, and the transfer of five detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Qatar. And I appreciate having the Department of Defense General Counsel Stephen Preston, here with me. Mr. Preston was one of our negotiators in Qatar and signed on behalf of the U.S. the Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of Qatar and the United States. Also here representing the Joint Chiefs of Staff is Brigadier General Pat White, who is the Director of the Joint Staff's Pakistan/Afghanistan Coordination Cell and who helped coordinate the Bergdahl recovery on behalf of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dempsey. The Vice Chairman of the Joints Chiefs, Admiral Winnefeld, will join us for the closed portion of this hearing. As you know, General Dempsey and Admiral Winnefeld played a critical role in the meetings at the National Security Council leading up to Sergeant Bergdahl's release and supported the decision to move forward with this prisoner exchange.

In my statement today, I will address the issues Chairman McKeon raised when he asked me to testify, and explain why it was urgent to pursue Sergeant Bergdahl's release, why we decided to move forward with the detainee transfer, and why it was fully consistent with U.S. law, our nation's interests, and our military's core values.

Mr. Chairman, I want to be clear on one fundamental point - I would never sign off on any decision that I did not feel was in the best interests of this country. Nor would the President of the United States, who made the final decision with the full support of his national security team.

There are legitimate questions about this prisoner exchange, and Congress obviously has an important oversight role to play in all military and intelligence matters. As a former member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I appreciate the vital role Congress plays in our national security. And I will present to this committee - within the limits of an open, unclassified, hearing, and in more detail in the closed, classified, hearing - everything I can to assure you that this prisoner exchange was done legally, with substantial mitigation of risk, and in the national interest of our country.

I love that he included that W released 532 and Obama 88

"Mr. Chairman, I want to be clear on one fundamental point - I would never sign off on any decision that I did not feel was in the best interests of this country. Nor would the President of the United States, who made the final decision with the full support of his national security team."

thanks Fred~

That was an amazing statement by our Secretary of Defense! Well done sir!

http://www.c-span.org/video/?319849-1/secretary-hagel-bergdahl-prisoner-exchange

a total destruction of the propaganda. Total.

for this incredible job. He showed remarkable patience and constraint with a couple of Rethugs who grandstanded and showed a "prosecutorial tone" as the great rep from Tennessee (?) noted. I think he was from TN, maybe KY. Watching the entire hearing is time well spent...all the players do show their hands. Too bad we can't be privy to the classified hearings.

Thank you for posting that c-span link.

Rep. Cooper from Tennessee - unknown to me beforehand, but not any more.

to you, sir!

here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014823463

Glad you're here! I personally LOVE your sig-line. Because sometimes I find myself dreaming about the day when that miserable, prehistoric, cockeyed, utterly unhinged, willfully ignorant, and recklessly irresponsible mindset has been wiped out. I wonder if any of 'em will EVER fully wake up. Even if, heaven forbid, they DO get their way and they DO get "their" America back(wards), I'd say we could safely bet that they won't like it then, either. I think, at its most basic, these idiots really don't know WHAT they want when you drill down into it farther than a couple of millimeters.

It struck me that what these morans THINK they want - the America of the 1950s - would horrify them today. Eisenhower? He was a MODERATE. He had America BUILDING things - and it wasn't the private sector making the interstate highway system a reality. Back when Jim Anderson and Ward Cleaver drove off to work every morning to earn the single paycheck that would easily support their families-of-four, so Margaret and June could stay home with their pearls and their house-dresses and their vacuum cleaners which they'd stop working with in time to make cookies for when the kids got home from school, UNIONS were strong. UNIONS. The bane of corporate America's existence these days! America had a strong UNION movement. And it was appreciated and celebrated. UNIONS were well-regarded and had the support of the people. UNIONS made that whole world possible. UNIONS compelled business and industry to play a little more fair with the working man (and woman). UNIONS were in place and helping to level the playing field and make it possible for ONE member of the household to earn enough singlehandedly to support a family comfortably. With benefits and health insurance and a pension. And collective bargaining so the working stiff could get a bit of a break and a reasonable pay increase every so often. And a few more workers' rights. THAT is what the 50s were.

If ol' newty gingrich who loudly flatters himself as an "historian" really WERE any sort of historian, when he spewed all that crap about sending the kids to clean the bathrooms at school and work as janitors, HE WOULD HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN LABOR MOVEMENT. He would have known something about child labor laws and the reason such things were NEEDED.

and also stated a few of you might know this. He bought up his service in Vietnam and threw it at them. He went through a timeline of when they were calling him to "do everything" and told them that's what the president did. He told them they had 96 hours from when the taliban made the deal to when they got Bergdahl. He told them he and the president did exactly what the constitution demanded. He told them they were notified of the deal that was being made but they did not have to be notified when it was happening because the president does not need permission to do his job in extraordinary circumstances. He reminded him how risky it was for the team that went in. There was much more he said but he was so on target in defying them to accuse him of doing anything that was not in the interest of the USA.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3166229/posts?page=67

so Hannity and Fox can finish eviscerating him. Prime time waterboarding for ratings. Seriously. These people are insane.

of the room.

And WTF is wrong with Bergen on CNN, still defending the Fox propaganda, now they are down to arguing definitions of combant, detainee, POW, involuntary guest in a cave?

To echo the next President, what freaking difference does it make? A soldier in captivity for 5 years is home.

If you live in the tin foil hat world of tea zombie conspiracy geeks. But it is frightening to think these ignorant bastards are making decisions that effect all of us. It's frightening.

he's supported Democrats running for Senate seats in the past couple years

as Republican, but you shed the party when you don the robes of Secretary of Defence.

I think he did.

You just said one has no party when they are SecDef. Keep your narrative straight, please.

Give'em hell Chuck!

In this other Universe, media reports come out that Obama had a deal on the table to retreive a POW in failing health but the Taliban demanded an answer immediately. due to information given to Obama about the soldier deserting his unit, he elects not to take the deal. The soldier eventually dies in captivity.

I would love to see what the Congressinal hearings and Fox News reports look like in the scenario. Surely they would all be praising the President for protecting us from those 5 Taliban and essentially sentancing that soldier to death by refusing to bring him home. Right? Because in our Universe he DID make the deal and is being destroyed for it.

the look on Hagels face is priceless, I think he wanted to punch that idiot in the face.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/chuck-hagel-jeff-miller-bergdahl-hearing?utm_content=buffer57cea&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

I have no respect for people who say they want answers then continue to talk over the people they're questioning.

after his release, I can't recall. These RW hate lusting cretins want to give Bergdahl a shower, change of clothes and a sandwich then ship him home so FOX can get a ratings boost. Disgusting.

totally different age, when the base of evangelicals and the money lenders were separate beings, and fascism was no so popular and they were without a media propaganda voice.

And make no mistake about it, it is not campaign contributions anymore, it is direct bribery.

"In the decision to rescue Sergeant Bergdahl, we complied with the law, and we did what we believed was in the best interests of our country, our military, and Sergeant Bergdahl. The President has constitutional responsibilities and authorities to protect American citizens and members of our armed forces. That's what he did. "

Sec Hagel reiterated that. Its in the act the congress crafted.National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2014.

buffed, polished and given that rarified air finish. He's HIMSELF.

"America leaves no man behind, what part of that do the assholes not understand?"

been a fan of his for years maybe over a decade now

him and Joe Biden together. Like a tag team.

are they so reluctant to bring up Killer Miller's past, there are tons of videos and a manifesto?

If email and diary missives are so important to gain insight, how about some insight into Killer Miller?

Took three SecDef's and some balls to get it done. Good on you, Chuck.

He is a dying breed.

I fear we shall never see his type again. Seems like the clown car is fully loaded with Tea Clowns and ready to fuck up our nation and soon. They are just waiting to shutdown the government again with glee. Got to kill the body off in order to save the head!

He was an enlisted soldier, was wounded, received medals and he knows what war is about. He is the real deal! I love his tough, straight talk to the lily livered chicken hawks who are now squawking about Bow Bergdahl.

n/t

there is something more he could do to earn your respect?

n/t

What kind of logic do you use to called some here a Republican asshole?

Last I check it is called Democraticunderground.com.

He served his country and was wounded in its defense. He stood up and defended the decision for the prisoner swap and stood his ground on bringing all American soldiers home. Yes, he is Republican, but he is not a Republican asshole.

Not until after the mid term election. After that, it'll be a 20 second long "Well, alright."

We all know that Bergdahl is their "Trade Center Mosque" for this go round.

Facts do not matter. It is all about propaganda and spin. And, apparently, unfortunately, it seems to be working for them. Based on the posts I have seen on this forum, many people here believe anything the republicans say, and then regurgitate it as if it is fact...and become filled with outrage and hate because of the lies.

But look at Fox's headline to the transcript:

"Hagel on Bergdahl Swap: 'Admin Could've Done a Better Job Keeping Congress Informed'"

That's Faux's summary of the passionate smackdown Hagel gave to the wingnuts.