Rep. Richard B. Nugent (R-Fla.), a lawmaker whose three sons have served in the military, made the case of captive soldier Bowe Bergdahl a personal cause. Nugent delivered speeches about Bergdahl on the House floor. He introduced two resolutions affirming that the United States would not abandon him in Afghanistan.
What Nugent wanted, he told a crowd at a rally for Bergdahl in February, was for "the United States to do everything possible not to leave any members of the armed forces behind."
But now, Nugent says that — when he said "do everything possible" — he did not actually mean everything. Now that Bergdahl is free, the Florida Republican has become a critic of the deal that freed him.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-bergdahl-boomerang-gop-lawmakers-who-long-urged-a-rescue-now-sour-on-the-idea/2014/06/06/a538698a-ece3-11e3-93d2-edd4be1f5d9e_story.html?hpid=z1
This is what Bill Maher refers to as black tracking. That moment when you realize President Obama has agreed with you and you have to change your mind. :-)
and of course the very steadfast John McCain. What a joke he is....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIMOibtdOQE
The President has made the deal. He should have notified Congress per the law or he should not have signed the law. While I would agree with the administration that this lies within the purview of the CIC, he didn't veto it and now he owns this deal. The news here is the identity of the released terrorists. President Obama has given a great deal of his political capital and reputation to five evil men who hate him and America. It is a great risk.
There aren't any easy decisions to be made with this entire Bergdahl situation; Presidents sometimes have to make tough decisions. Regardless of Bergdahl's intentions (whether he is a deserter or not) the creed is to leave no soldier behind. Who's to say that those GITMO prisoners will not be released in the future anyway? Are we gonna bring the prisoners to the US to be tried? Who knows?
The only thing that I didn't like off the bat was that Rose Garden press conference with the parents, praising Bergdahl's service without knowing the full details. The process should have been done more discreetly with no fanfare.
Politics are a joke. With the flip-floppers on both sides of the issue (whatever one the POTUS isn't). They all are liars. Democrats would've done the same thing if the situation was vice-versa.
Quote from: NotNow on June 07, 2014, 07:23:43 PM
President Obama has given a great deal of his political capital and reputation to five evil men who hate him and America. It is a great risk.
compare that with the deal Israel made to get Galid Shalit back...and it is far more likely that some of those 1,000+ prisoners could one day effect harm on Israelis
Israel has its own problems. I was commenting on our government.
nice deflection. Fact is the people of Israel swallowed hard on the prisoner release, but getting Shalit home was of utmost importance.
Quote from: I-10east on June 08, 2014, 05:56:30 PM
There aren't any easy decisions to be made with this entire Bergdahl situation; Presidents sometimes have to make tough decisions. Regardless of Bergdahl's intentions (whether he is a deserter or not) the creed is to leave no soldier behind. Who's to say that those GITMO prisoners will not be released in the future anyway? Are we gonna bring the prisoners to the US to be tried? Who knows?
The only thing that I didn't like off the bat was that Rose Garden press conference with the parents, praising Bergdahl's service without knowing the full details. The process should have been done more discreetly with no fanfare.
Politics are a joke. With the flip-floppers on both sides of the issue (whatever one the POTUS isn't). They all are liars. Democrats would've done the same thing if the situation was vice-versa.
There is no question of whether he is a deserter.
^^^I agree.
^^^I thought that I was being pretty even-keeled and straight forward with that post. I'm glad that you thought it was amusing. I thought that your 'Pepper spray to a Gunfight' title was very funny.
Quote from: tufsu1 on June 08, 2014, 07:27:29 PM
Quote from: NotNow on June 07, 2014, 07:23:43 PM
President Obama has given a great deal of his political capital and reputation to five evil men who hate him and America. It is a great risk.
compare that with the deal Israel made to get Galid Shalit back...and it is far more likely that some of those 1,000+ prisoners could one day effect harm on Israelis
The difference between Shalit and Bergdahl is this...
QuoteAt the time of his abduction, Shalit was a corporal in an armored corps unit as part of his service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The two other soldiers patrolling with Shalit near the Gaza border on June 25, 2006 were killed during the attack, and the wounded 19-year-old was taken by Hamas to southern Gaza where he would be held for the next five years.
QuoteThe Israeli press, in its coverage of the release, referred to Bergdahl as the American "Gilad Shalit"
Read more: American 'Gilad Shalit' freed from captivity in Afghanistan | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/last-us-soldier-freed-from-captivity-in-afghanistan/#ixzz348yxQ23F
Quote from: stephendare on June 09, 2014, 09:27:35 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on June 09, 2014, 07:01:24 AM
Quote from: tufsu1 on June 08, 2014, 07:27:29 PM
Quote from: NotNow on June 07, 2014, 07:23:43 PM
President Obama has given a great deal of his political capital and reputation to five evil men who hate him and America. It is a great risk.
compare that with the deal Israel made to get Galid Shalit back...and it is far more likely that some of those 1,000+ prisoners could one day effect harm on Israelis
The difference between Shalit and Bergdahl is this...
QuoteAt the time of his abduction, Shalit was a corporal in an armored corps unit as part of his service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The two other soldiers patrolling with Shalit near the Gaza border on June 25, 2006 were killed during the attack, and the wounded 19-year-old was taken by Hamas to southern Gaza where he would be held for the next five years.
you guys sound treasonous to me.
sorry that you hate the idea of rescuing an american so much.
What on earth are you talking about??? Again... I have not said that it was wrong to "rescue" him. In fact... I have ALWAYS said it was right. TUFSU compared Shalit to Bergdahl... I was simply pointing out that Shalit was captured while ambushed in combat... while Bergdahl... well... wandered off. As someone who has only served... food... I do not expect you to understand the difference...
Quote from: stephendare on June 09, 2014, 09:51:39 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on June 09, 2014, 09:39:45 AM
Quote from: stephendare on June 09, 2014, 09:27:35 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on June 09, 2014, 07:01:24 AM
Quote from: tufsu1 on June 08, 2014, 07:27:29 PM
Quote from: NotNow on June 07, 2014, 07:23:43 PM
President Obama has given a great deal of his political capital and reputation to five evil men who hate him and America. It is a great risk.
compare that with the deal Israel made to get Galid Shalit back...and it is far more likely that some of those 1,000+ prisoners could one day effect harm on Israelis
The difference between Shalit and Bergdahl is this...
QuoteAt the time of his abduction, Shalit was a corporal in an armored corps unit as part of his service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The two other soldiers patrolling with Shalit near the Gaza border on June 25, 2006 were killed during the attack, and the wounded 19-year-old was taken by Hamas to southern Gaza where he would be held for the next five years.
you guys sound treasonous to me.
sorry that you hate the idea of rescuing an american so much.
What on earth are you talking about??? Again... I have not said that it was wrong to "rescue" him. In fact... I have ALWAYS said it was right. TUFSU compared Shalit to Bergdahl... I was simply pointing out that Shalit was captured while ambushed in combat... while Bergdahl... well... wandered off. As someone who has only served... food... I do not expect you to understand the difference...
hopefully, if you ever need to be rescued as an american citizen, the decisions will be made by someone who understands that there is no difference.
I want all Americans rescued. The administration can now turn its rescue efforts to North Korea... as they have decided that imprisoning Americans is for both fun and profit...
This young man volunteered during a time of war to serve his country. Could you imagine being a young man right now thinking of volunteering and seeing how much anger could be generated at the prospect of a soldier being returned from captivity.
His parents being threatened , his hometown having to cancel celebrations for security threats and officials at the highest level telling everyone who will listen how bringing the soldier home is a bad deal.
They support the troops as long as it doesn't mean approving funds for their care or if they can be expended to politically attack the President but otherwise supported.
Interesting spin. But still...spin. I don't think anyone here has been "against" bringing Bergdahl back. The questions have been about the price paid for his return and his legal status in the military.
The simple fact is that this is NOT the "happy homecoming" that either the President or Bergdahl's hometown expected. Bergdahl's behavior will not allow that. Whether or not this was a "bad deal" has yet to be decided, and depends greatly on the actions of the released terrorist. There are now also questions about whether there were additional terms to this "deal" that were not disclosed i.e. ransom money.
These arguments have nothing to do with "supporting the troops".
So NN death threats equals just less than a happy homecoming? If the reality is people don't think one of our GIs is worth 5 Taliban IMO they aren't adequately supporting the troops. Not so much talking about here but some of the rhetoric coming from elected officials.
Obviously, no one is advocating for death threats. Quoting from the fringe will get us nowhere. "Reality" is that Bergdahl's behavior is what stopped any organized celebration of his homecoming. Again, your opinion is your opinion. I think other Americans are allowed to have their opinions as well. In my own case, I don't think that we have all of the facts yet, and we certainly don't know what the future will bring. So I hesitate to say whether the deal is a "good" one or not. I do believe that the President has the authority to make such deals, but that the existing law should not have been signed/should be changed.
NN I don't put any of the radical positions on you.
Quote from: stephendare on June 09, 2014, 01:21:15 PM
Quote from: NotNow on June 09, 2014, 01:07:07 PM
Obviously, no one is advocating for death threats.
except of course for the people making death threats......you know.... because they don't think that these Americans deserved to have an American soldier son rescued by his country.
" Quoting from the fringe will get us nowhere."
Sigh...SOS.
"Most of what been written and said about Bowe Bergdahl isn't really about Bowe Bergdahl. Instead much of it is a projection of national angst about long wars that haven't delivered on their promises upon a young man who endured a five year ordeal in Taliban captivity."
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/Backchannels/2014/0609/In-Bergdahl-a-projection-of-our-views-on-America-s-long-and-inconclusive-wars-video
From prayers to fury: The journey of Bowe Bergdahl
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/from-prayers-to-fury-the-journey-of-bowe-bergdahl/2014/06/07/de3952a0-ee5d-11e3-8a8a-e17c08f80871_story.html
Quote from: finehoe on June 12, 2014, 09:15:24 AM
From prayers to fury: The journey of Bowe Bergdahl
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/from-prayers-to-fury-the-journey-of-bowe-bergdahl/2014/06/07/de3952a0-ee5d-11e3-8a8a-e17c08f80871_story.html
Good article... last paragragh...
QuoteGerald Sutton served with Bergdahl and considered him a friend. Now, he wants a court martial.
"Personally, I'd like to be able to talk to the guy and ask him why he did this," he said, "because that's the ultimate question."