Top Items:
Ralph Peters / National Review:
Why Team Obama Was Blindsided by the Bergdahl Backlash — Congratulations, Mr. President! And identical congrats to your sorcerer's apprentice, National Security Adviser Susan Rice. By trying to sell him as an American hero, you've turned a deserter already despised by soldiers …
Discussion:
Booman Tribune and VodkaPundit
RELATED:
New York Times:
Can Bowe Bergdahl Be Tied to 6 Lost Lives? Facts Are Murky — WASHINGTON — Did the search for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl cost the lives of American soldiers? — Since last weekend's prisoner exchange in which Afghan insurgents turned over Sergeant Bergdahl after five years of captivity …
Michelle Malkin / Townhall.com:
Exclusive: The Story You Haven't Yet Heard About Bowe Bergdahl's Desertion — 1.3K — SHARES — Five years ago, I publicly raised questions about Bowe Bergdahl's desertion from Blackfoot Company, 1-501 Infantry (Airborne), 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division.
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon and Patterico's Pontifications
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Prisoner swap blows up on White House — The Obama administration has apologized for bypassing Congress before it released senior Taliban commanders from Guantanamo Bay as part of a controversial prisoner exchange. — The expression of regret was a major shift for the White House …
Discussion:
Politico, Josh Blackman's Blog and Washington Post
NY Daily News:
Surrender without honor — Obama swap with Taliban endangers the country — President Obama betrayed the highest obligation of his office — safeguarding national security — in trading five hard-core Taliban for the American serviceman who appears to have deserted in Afghanistan.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Hot Air, The PJ Tatler, Power Line, Associated Press and Mediaite
Josh Rogin / The Daily Beast:
Hillary Clinton Was Skeptical of Taliban-Bergdahl Swap — In 2011 and 2012, Hillary Clinton's State Department negotiated directly with the Taliban over a swap for Bowe Bergdahl, but Clinton was not a fan of the idea. — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was personally and intensely involved …
Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast:
The Bowe Bergdahl Story Is Right-Wing Crack — Never mind that Bush would have done the same as Obama. Republicans are hitting the pipe big time on the ‘deserter’—and their creepy bottom line is that he should have been left to die. — I was amazed but not surprised by my Twitter feed Monday.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Crooks and Liars, msnbc.com, New York Magazine, RedState, Here & Now, LewRockwell and ThinkProgress
Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
Oliver North Of All People Blasts Obama For Financing Terrorist Orgs In Bergdahl Swap — Naturally, Lt. Col. Oliver North has plenty to say about the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. — North, the former Reagan aide-turned-conservative commentator best-known for his central role …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and BREITBART.COM
Matthew Rosenberg / New York Times:
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Was Exchanged for Detainees at Guantánamo — Taliban Releases Video of Bowe Bergdahl Exchange Video by Storyful — KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban released a video on Wednesday showing its fighters handing Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to American troops …
Wall Street Journal:
Secret Videos Prompted Bowe Bergdahl Taliban Prisoner Swap — Rapid Deterioration of Soldier's Health Persuaded Leaders to Back Exchange — Two secret videos showing rapid deterioration in Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's health persuaded reluctant military and intelligence leaders to back the prisoner swap …
Discussion:
Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, The Huffington Post, Washington Post, CNN, The Daily Caller, NBC News, Politico and News Desk
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
What if Team Obama had just told the truth about Bowe Bergdahl?
What if Team Obama had just told the truth about Bowe Bergdahl?
Discussion:
The Federalist, Townhall.com, Betsy's Page and The Hill
Fox News:
Taliban release video showing handover of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
Taliban release video showing handover of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
Discussion:
TPNN, The Gateway Pundit and Fox News Insider
Brian Ries / Mashable:
Republicans Delete Digital Praise of Bowe Bergdahl Release
Republicans Delete Digital Praise of Bowe Bergdahl Release
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, PoliticusUSA, ThinkProgress, BREITBART.COM and BuzzFeed
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:
THE BERGDAHL CHRONICLES: WELCOME HOME, CREEP
THE BERGDAHL CHRONICLES: WELCOME HOME, CREEP
Discussion:
AMERICAblog News, Infowars, TheBlaze.com, National Review and Hullabaloo
Brian Beutler / The New Republic:
Conservative Critics of the Bergdahl-Taliban Swap Have Some Explaining to Do
Conservative Critics of the Bergdahl-Taliban Swap Have Some Explaining to Do
Discussion:
Business Insider, The Dish, PoliticusUSA, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo and Hot Air
Michael Warren / Weekly Standard:
Senate Democrats Go AWOL
Senate Democrats Go AWOL
Discussion:
BREITBART.COM, CNN, The Daily Beast, The Daily Caller, Althouse, Hot Air, Mediaite and ABC News
Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Don't Harsh Our Mellow, Dude — The caramel-chocolate flavored candy bar looked so innocent, like the Sky Bars I used to love as a child. — Sitting in my hotel room in Denver, I nibbled off the end and then, when nothing happened, nibbled some more. I figured if I was reporting …
RELATED:
Ann Althouse / Althouse:
Maureen Dowd went to Colorado, ate some marijuana candy, and had an 8-hour freakout.
Maureen Dowd went to Colorado, ate some marijuana candy, and had an 8-hour freakout.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post
CNN:
Top takeaways from Tuesday's primaries — (CNN) — The tea party movement is an important step closer to doing something it's done only three times before: Oust an incumbent Republican senator in a GOP primary. — Tea party backed state Sen. Chris McDaniel forced incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
RELATED:
The Clarion-Ledger:
Cochran, McDaniel: Runoff likely
Cochran, McDaniel: Runoff likely
Discussion:
Fox News, Taylor Marsh, Taegan Goddard's … and New York Times
Alexander Burns / Politico:
Thad Cochran, Chris McDaniel barrel toward runoff
Thad Cochran, Chris McDaniel barrel toward runoff
Discussion:
New York Magazine, New York Times, Yahoo! News, Outside the Beltway, Prairie Weather, Business Insider, Wall Street Journal and CNN
Sean Sullivan / Washington Post:
Sen. Cochran and tea party challenger in dead heat in Mississippi GOP primary
Sen. Cochran and tea party challenger in dead heat in Mississippi GOP primary
Discussion:
The Week, Sunlight Foundation Blog and New York Times
Sandra Sobieraj Westfall / People.com:
Hillary Clinton Opens Up About Becoming a Grandmother - and Possible Presidential Run — Grandma in Chief? — Becoming a grandmother in the fall could influence Hillary Clinton's decision-making - and not just which carseat to buy (though there's that, too).
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Talking Points Memo, New York Times, Mediaite, OnPolitics and FishbowlDC
Cameron Joseph / The Hill:
Iowa primary sets up top Senate battle — Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst (R) has won her primary, setting up a key Senate battle against Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa). — The Associated Press has called the race for Ernst, who had 53 percent of the vote with 24 percent of precincts reporting.
Discussion:
Des Moines Register and Scared Monkeys
RELATED:
James Hohmann / Politico:
Joni Ernst wins Iowa GOP Senate primary
Joni Ernst wins Iowa GOP Senate primary
Discussion:
Guardian, Outside the Beltway and CNN
Jon Clifton / Gallup:
Happiness in Short Supply in Iran — Iranians report highest negative emotions, second only to Iraq — WASHINGTON, D.C. — The media storm that erupted after police arrested six young Iranians for dancing to the Pharrell Williams song “Happy” in an online video prompted Iranian President Hassan Rouhani …
Discussion:
Yahoo! News