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:
VodkaPundit
RELATED:
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
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:
Patterico's Pontifications and Washington Free Beacon
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 …
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, Power Line, Hot Air, The PJ Tatler, 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:
Crooks and Liars, msnbc.com, New York Magazine, RedState, Here & Now, ThinkProgress, LewRockwell and Hinterland Gazette
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:
Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Washington Post, CNN, The Daily Caller, NBC News and News Desk
Byron York / Washington Examiner:
What if Team Obama had just told the truth about Bowe Bergdahl? — BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL SUSAN RICE BOWE BERGDAHL — Bill Clinton's critics in Arkansas used to say that he would rather climb a tree and tell a lie than stand on the ground and tell the truth.
Discussion:
Townhall.com, Betsy's Page and The Hill
Donna Cassata / Associated Press:
Dem Leader Assails GOP Over Soldier Swap — The top Democrat in the Senate on Wednesday accused Republicans of trying to score political points with their criticism of President Barack Obama over the swap of an American solider for five members of the Taliban held at Guantanamo.
Discussion:
Politico
Fox News:
Taliban release video showing handover of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
Taliban release video showing handover of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, TPNN and Fox News Insider
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:
The Dish, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Magazine, PoliticusUSA, Daily Kos, Hullabaloo, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo and The Daily Caller
Michael Warren / Weekly Standard:
Senate Democrats Go AWOL
Senate Democrats Go AWOL
Discussion:
CNN, The Daily Caller, Althouse, Hot Air, Mediaite and National Review
Brian Ries / Mashable:
Republicans Delete Digital Praise of Bowe Bergdahl Release
Republicans Delete Digital Praise of Bowe Bergdahl Release
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, PoliticusUSA, ThinkProgress, BREITBART.COM, BuzzFeed and Talking Points Memo
Brian Tashman / Right Wing Watch:
Oliver North (Yes, Oliver North) Accuses Obama Of ‘Financing A Terrorist Organization’ With Bergdahl Release
Oliver North (Yes, Oliver North) Accuses Obama Of ‘Financing A Terrorist Organization’ With Bergdahl Release
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, BREITBART.COM and Daily Kos
New York Times:
Deal to Free Bowe Bergdahl Puts Obama on Defensive
Deal to Free Bowe Bergdahl Puts Obama on Defensive
Discussion:
Power Line, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post, Lawfare, The Hill, rubber hose, Just Security, MiamiHerald.com, The Originalism Blog and Politico
Massimo Calabresi / TIME:
White House Overrode Internal Objections To Taliban Prisoner Release
White House Overrode Internal Objections To Taliban Prisoner Release
Discussion:
Fox News, The Federalist, National Review, American Thinker, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, The PJ Tatler, Hot Air, protein wisdom, Ed Driscoll and Twitchy
The Lead with Jake Tapper:
Bergdahl's team leader: Intercepted radio chatter said he sought talks with the Taliban
Bergdahl's team leader: Intercepted radio chatter said he sought talks with the Taliban
John Parkinson / ABC News:
John Boehner Demands Answers From Obama on Bowe Bergdahl Prisoner Exchange
John Boehner Demands Answers From Obama on Bowe Bergdahl Prisoner Exchange
Discussion:
Politico, ABC News, The Daily Beast, abc7chicago.com and National Review
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 …
Adam Weymouth / The Atlantic Online:
Thad Cochran, the Last of the Naive Republicans — MERIDIAN, Miss.—My question was simple, but it wasn't clear Senator Thad Cochran had any idea what I was talking about. Why, I wanted to know, did he think Mississippi needed him in the U.S. Senate? — “I think my service in the House …
RELATED:
The Clarion-Ledger:
Cochran, McDaniel: Runoff likely
Cochran, McDaniel: Runoff likely
Discussion:
Fox News, Taylor Marsh, New York Times and Taegan Goddard's …
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 and Sunlight Foundation Blog
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, Scared Monkeys and CNN
RELATED:
James Hohmann / Politico:
Joni Ernst wins Iowa GOP Senate primary
Joni Ernst wins Iowa GOP Senate primary
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and CNN
madmagazine.com:
Barack Obama's Unfortunate New Movie — Recently, President Obama exchanged five Taliban leaders for an American POW, Bowe Bergdahl. One prisoner for five is an iffy trade to begin with — but even moreso when it was revealed that Bergdahl had deserted his post.
Discussion:
The PJ Tatler, Power Line, NewsBusters and Ed Driscoll
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:
Mediaite, OnPolitics and FishbowlDC
Evan McMurry / Mediaite:
Fox's Ablow Connects Bergdahl's Ballet Moves to Obama ‘Wanting Out of America’ — The hosts of Fox & Friends and Fox News psychiatric consultant Keith Ablow set a land-speed record Wednesday morning when, during a segment ostensibly psychoanalyzing freed Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, NewsHounds blog and The Raw Story