Yesterday's release of captured U.S. Army soldier Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was greeted with celebration by the vast majority of Americans. Bergdahl had been a captive of the Taliban for roughly five years, and was exchanged for five detainees at Guantanamo. Bergdahl's parents were at the White House yesterday as part of the announcement of their son's release.
Coming as no surprise, some craven Rethugs are trying to make the prisoner exchange an issue with the President, pointing to a requirement that 30 days notification be given to Congress prior to releasing Guantanamo detainees. Sen. James "Jerkinhofe" Inhofe, who ably represents the birther / fossil fuel / climate change denier cult of the right-wing, cried foul, but who doubts that if Bergdahl had been executed by the Taliban, Sen. Jerkinhofe would be one of the first to denounce the President as "weak," etc.
Speaking from Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel defended the process, indicating Bergdahl's life would have been in danger if notification had delayed the exchange. Not that that would have stopped Rethugs from cynically politicizing it.
BONUS: Should there be any doubt as to Republicans using every angle they can to, first, block, then if that failed, politicize the exchange, there's this:
One possible reason the president chose not to notify lawmakers is that last time he attempted to negotiate Sgt. Bergdahl’s release, Republicans both formally and informally blocked all efforts to do so.
In addition to using congressional oversight, special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman was told by Republican leadership that negotiating an exchange of Sgt. Bergdahl that involved detainees from Guantanamo Bay would be the president’s “Willie Horton moment,” a reference to the infamous “Revolving Door” advertisement that George H.W. Bush campaign used to make 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis look “soft” on crime. (our emphasis)Scum.
