memeorandum: The perils of progressivism run deeper than Obama. (James Taranto/Wall Street Journal)

4:15 PM ET, June 3, 2014

Top Items:

Bowe Bergdahl's Vanishing Before Capture Angered His Unit — WASHINGTON — Sometime after midnight on June 30, 2009, Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl left behind a note in his tent saying he had become disillusioned with the Army, did not support the American mission in Afghanistan and was leaving to start a new life.

Abby Phillip / Washington Post:

The curious case of Bob Bergdahl's apparent tweet to the Taliban — Since Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was captured in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2009, his father had become an expert on Guantanamo Bay's detainees. It was out of necessity, because the Taliban demanded that the United States free prisoners …

Discussion: The Agonist, Daily Mail, Betsy's Page, Gawker, The Daily Caller, The Daily Beast, NPR, ABC News, Balloon Juice, Yahoo! News and RedState

Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:

Republican Strategist Helped Organize Bergdahl Critics — Former Bush administration and Romney campaign official Richard Grenell helped connect the media and soldiers who served with Bergdahl. — Bowe Bergdahl — The Associated Press — WASHINGTON — A former Bush administration official …

Discussion: Washington Post, PoliticusUSA, Hullabaloo, Hot Air, Daily Kos, The PJ Tatler and Mediaite

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

WH apologizes to Senate intel chief for prisoner swap secret — The White House has apologized to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for failing to alert her in advance of a decision to release Taliban commanders from Guantanamo Bay.

Discussion: Business Insider and National Review

General Martin E. Dempsey / Facebook:

In response to those of you interested in my personal judgments about the recovery of SGT Bowe Bergdahl, the questions about this particular soldier's conduct are separate from our effort to recover ANY U.S. service member in enemy captivity. This was likely the last, best opportunity to free him.

Discussion: The Hill, The PJ Tatler, National Review, ThinkProgress, The Dish, The Daily Caller and ABC News

Eli Lake / The Daily Beast:

How Obama Convinced His Spies to Support the Taliban Prisoner Release — The Pentagon and the nation's top intelligence official opposed releasing the Gitmo Five in 2012. This time around the White House got the answer it wanted when the Taliban was ready to deal.

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, The Dish, Just Security, The Week, TPNN, National Review, The Hill, Fox News and Washington Free Beacon

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Prisoner swap: Did Hillary know? — Republicans are raising questions about whether Hillary Clinton knew about the White House plan to release senior Taliban commanders in exchange for the last U.S. prisoner of war. — President Obama met with his former secretary of State for lunch on Thursday …

Discussion: Politico, Daily Mail, RealClearPolitics Video Log, Daily Kos, Hot Air, Questions and Observations and Wall Street Journal

Todd C. Frankel / Washington Post:
For father of released POW, growing a beard and studying captors defined the years

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Raw Story, BuzzFeed, Guns.com, Mediaite, The Huffington Post and CNN

Elahe Izadi / NationalJournal.com:
Dianne Feinstein Disappointed Lawmakers Not Given 30-Day Notice on Bergdahl Swap

Discussion: Politico, BuzzFeed, Mediaite and Hot Air

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
GOP Strategists Arranged Interviews With Angry Members Of Bergdahl's Platoon

Discussion: The Daily Banter, TPNN, The Mahablog, The Federalist and The Week

Guy Taylor / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: Pentagon knew Bergdahl's whereabouts but didn't risk rescue for ‘deserter’

Discussion: Independent Journal Review, Liberaland, Hot Air and Weekly Standard

Philip Ewing / Politico:
Dempsey: Won't ignore misconduct

Discussion: RT and Fox News Insider

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:
Obama: We Consulted Congress About Possibility Of Prisoner Swap

Discussion: Politico, The Daily Banter and Hot Air

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
Obama's National Security Team Mounts Defense Of Bergdahl Rescue

Discussion: PoliticusUSA

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo: Fox Host: Bergdahl's Dad Looks ‘Like A Member Of The Taliban’ (VIDEO)

Nicholas Riccardi / Associated Press:
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON DEFENDS PRISONER SWAP

Discussion: ABC News, Shakesville, Mediaite, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo and Business Insider

Noah Rothman / Mediaite:
Jeffrey Toobin: Obama ‘Clearly Broke the Law’ on Bergdahl

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Hinterland Gazette, The Daily Caller, Scared Monkeys, RealClearPolitics Video Log, Lawfare and Hot Air

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Dempsey: Army will investigate Bergdahl desertion charges

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, Debbie Schlussel and Independent Journal Review

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

Republicans have a mandate for their Benghazi probe — Democrats in recent weeks weighed whether to abstain from involvement in House Republicans' new Benghazi investigative committee, labeling it an unnecessary probe into questions that have already been answered. — The American people disagree.

Discussion: Hot Air and National Review

Washington Post:

June 2014 Washington Post-ABC News poll — Obama, Afghanistan withdrawal, VA and Benghazi Post-ABC poll: EPA rules on greenhouse gases Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president? Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling The economy?

Discussion: CNN, Business Insider, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Firedoglake, Politico and YG Network

Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:

Mandate By Poll — In reporting on a finding in the latest ABC-WaPo survey, The Fix's Aaron Blake uses a very annoying term: mandate: … Aside from the irritating multiple use of “the American people” to refer to 51% of poll respondents, Blake's assertion that marginal poll preferences represent a …

Discussion: Hot Air and Booman Tribune

Terrence McCoy / Washington Post:

Bodies of 800 babies, long-dead, found in septic tank at former Irish home for unwed mothers — In a town in western Ireland, where castle ruins pepper green landscapes, there's a six-foot stone wall that once surrounded a place called the Home. Between 1925 and 1961, thousands of …

Discussion: Gawker, Vermont Public Radio, IrishCentral.com, The Dish and Hullabaloo

IrishCentral.com: Galway historian reveals truth behind 800 orphans in mass grave (IrishCentral)

www.wftv.com:

Brevard judge tells attorney, 'I'll beat your ass,' allegedly throws punches — BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Court deputies had to break up a physical fight between a Brevard County judge and a public defender after an argument during a hearing on Monday. — Judge John Murphy is accused …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Mediaite, The Week, The Raw Story, MyFOX8.com and The Daily Caller

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:

The perils of progressivism run deeper than Obama. — “For a president who came to office hoping to restore public faith in government as a force for good in society, the mess at the Department of Veterans Affairs threatens to undercut his reputation for effectiveness,” writes New York Times reporter Peter Baker in a “news analysis.”

Discussion: Politico and Instapundit

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Book: Obama told donors he might be in ‘strong position’ to amend Constitution — President Obama told Democratic donors he might be “in a very strong position” to demand a Constitutional amendment on campaign finance reform during his second term, according to a new book.

Discussion: Politico and Taegan Goddard's …

archinte.jamanetwork.com:

The Political Polarization of Physicians in the United States — An Analysis of Campaign Contributions to Federal Elections, 1991 Through 2012 — ONLINE FIRST — Adam Bonica, PhD1; Howard Rosenthal, PhD2; David J. Rothman, PhD3 — JAMA Intern Med. — Figures — Tables — References

Discussion: Liberal Values, Capital New York, Washington Post and Prairie Weather