to claim Obama should have let the kid die.

Sorry, typo. I meant...

Do not DARE to discount Steve Doocy's decades of hairspray and makeup applications!!!

You forgot the "h" in Steve's last name.

I understand the man is famous for ordering a double vinegar and water when he goes into a bar...

because that would be damaging to the President and the negotiations, they would NEVER do such a thing,......

The more facts come out, and the facts are from the military, the higher the GOP jumps over the shark.

I think that Obama has thought this out, the GOP and all the rabid idiots in the media are going to very much regret their incestuous relationship on this one.

I want the GOP to get nailed by their hate and obstructionist behaviors.

Heh.

Basically, they are making the argument that this can't be true because they know how to get inside the heads of the Taliban leadership and think the way they would think and they wouldn't possibly kill Bergdahl because he was their only chip or some shit. Its downright funny.

Bowe B would be dead right now and of course they would blame Pres O for that tooooooooooo.

I don't know why Congress has a hard time accepting the imminent danger he was in. He was alive because of his value to them. When it becomes apparent that the value is diminishing, there is no reason to keep him alive--he becomes a beheading or torture video then. The deal that was worked out was so closely guarded, too, because the Taliban apparently had trouble getting agreement and cooperation from all of THEIR factions--read the Wall Street Journal account of how touchy the whole thing was.

Thanks to wiki leaks for publishing those files.

it looks as though the Taliban are much smarter than the GOP office holders.

although I have my doubts.

under the guise that congress can't be trusted? Sure, we're all rah, rah right now, but if the * Administration had said this to speaker Pelosi, how would that have gone over here?

...and these power include military decisions (aside from declaring war) and the ability to grant pardons and reprieves for offenses against the United States and states that Cases of Impeachment as being the ONLY exception, then no, in this case, I have zero problem with it.

If we were talking about a different issue with a different set of Constitutional dynamics, then I might have a problem with it. This was fine though.

dynamics of the situation were, however, if he wasn't required to tell them anything, he could have just come out with that. However, "I didn't tell you because you can't be trusted" isn't a good justification for not telling them. Later, if he does send information to congress about something, is it because they somehow became more trustworthy or just that he doesn't care as much if it gets leaked?

Presidents are SUPPOSED to bring back our POWs. That's their job. I don't care if they are Republicans or Democrats. Why isn't anyone asking Congress why they haven't tried to rein in the President on drone strikes and CIA operations? They seem fine with presidents who unilaterally put our men in danger, but when it comes to getting them OUT of danger, suddenly that's when they want to stop him? Why isn't this the thing we are discussing?

It's not like they are not being told now, or did not know such things can happen.

It's a sad reality to have to face, but this POW had more value to them dead than alive. They'd already been laying the groundwork to attack when he didn't make it home alive. It's why we're seeing so many people who once demanded he be returned and that the president was failing him, suddenly denouncing him as having defected. They've had to switch to plan B in mid-stride.

I can't say the right thing to do here would have been to give them a chance to foul Bergdahl's chance to make it home alive.

they didn't let a Democratic congress in on their plans?

No official spokesperson would ever lay bare what I said.

I've never seen a congress so polarized and filled with so many extremist as what we have today. There were discussions on the swap, we know that now. Some people were told more than others, that's true. They weren't all totally blind about what was being considered. They weren't allowed to know the exact details, however.

In the end, I'm glad Bergdahl was brought home alive. Which is a feeling several politicians don't seem to share. I'm not overly concerned that we've descended into tyranny just because those politicians aren't happy.

Then yeah, I would certainly take the Repub side in this instance.

Fundamentally, if Congress/Rethugs wants to be treated as an "adult" or at least as a functional branch of government, then it needs to act like one. Passing some laws and appointing some judges would help...

They aren't the chief executive of the land, and they sure as hell aren't the Commander in Chief. If they had those powers, we wouldn't need a POTUS/CinC.

I think Obama was within his charge, keeping in mind the separation of powers, to do just what he did.

Fuck 'em if they don't like it.

Frankly, I don't know what obligation he had, if any, to provide congress information on this. However, if he was required to provide congress (or at least certain committee members) advanced information on this and didn't under the premise that they can't be trusted, I do find that a little unsettling, not necessarily in THIS circumstance, but that it may become a precedent for future presidents.

It's called consistency.

I fear that Bergdahl will take his own life. His mental state has to be extremely fragile at this point, and to come back "home" to this kind of reception could be devastating. If he kills himself, that will be more blood on the hands of the right-wing noise machine. I hope they're proud of themselves.

Him to death at the very least.

I imagine they all get by on smaller rations, the kind of life they lead. It's not even Afghan civilian life, much less the protein-rich, snack-filled life we're used to here.

to kill if it happened?!

I watched the edited video of the rescue, the team that got him was in a very risky situation, can you imagine a month of our nutty congress going hysterical and then trying to get him out? I'm thankful no one was killed.

Let me guess how this will go down.

Every repug will say it's a lie.

Every Democrat will accept it without question.

of the U.S. Constitution.

He is the CiC and he has both authority but as well responsibility for the men and women subject to his command.

He was fully within his Constitutional authority (trumps Congressional action) to agree to the Bergdahl exchange.

The reason Congress passed the 30 day rule was to be sure they could "whip up the people" if the President told them he was going to transfer or release prisoners.

They would NEVER have asked for this notification under GWB.

This proves that Taliban is actually a marionette controlled by Pakistan. Taliban doesn't have the sophistication to know what a leak would do and to prevent it with secrecy.

thanks phlesh

...up thread. (#21 I think)