memeorandum: Bernie Sanders, John McCain strike VA deal (Jeremy Herb/Politico)

5:40 PM ET, June 5, 2014

Top Items:

TIME:

Taliban Commander: More Kidnappings to Come After Bergdahl Deal — A Taliban commander close to the negotiations over the release of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl told TIME Thursday that the deal made to secure Bergdahl's release has made it more appealing for fighters to capture American soldiers and other high-value targets.

Discussion: Washington Post, Hot Air, BuzzFeed, USA Today, his vorpal sword, Politico, Fox News, TPNN, The Dish, The PJ Tatler, RedState, Hinterland Gazette, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit and VodkaPundit

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:

Scarborough And Todd Get Into On-Air Shouting Match Over Bergdahl's Dad — MSNBC's Chuck Todd and Joe Scarborough got into a shouting match Thursday on “Morning Joe” over Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's father in a heated debate that ultimately centered around the host's own parenting skills.

Discussion: The New Republic and Hullabaloo

New York Times:

Bergdahl Walked Away Before, Military Report Says — WASHINGTON — A classified military report detailing the Army's investigation into the disappearance of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in June 2009 says that he had wandered away from assigned areas before — both at a training range in California …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air, The Jawa Report, CNN, The Lead with Jake Tapper, Mediaite, Washington Post, National Review, Los Angeles Times, Prairie Weather and Politico

TIME:

Behind the Scenes of Bowe Bergdahl's Release — Asked whether the Taliban would be inspired by the exchange to kidnap others, a commander laughed. “Definitely.” — In the days and hours leading up to the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl last week, his Taliban captors in Pakistan prepared for a big sendoff.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Business Insider, Fox News Insider, National Review and Independent Journal Review

Michael B. Mukasey / Washington Post:

The ghastly transaction that freed Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl — (Uncredited/AP) - In this image taken from video obtained from Voice Of Jihad Website, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, A Taliban fighter speaks to Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, in eastern Afghanistan.

Discussion: The Hill, New York Times, NPR, Just Security, Betsy's Page, Politico, National Review, Fox News, Wall Street Journal and Hot Air

Kendall Breitman / Politico:

Charles Krauthammer backs Bowe Bergdahl deal — Charles Krauthammer says he supports President Barack Obama's deal to bring Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl home. — “Had the choice been mine I would have made the same choice,” Krauthammer told Fox News' “Special Report” on Wednesday.

Discussion: Washington Post, BuzzFeed and The Huffington Post

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

Outraged by Bergdahl case, fellow soldiers break secrecy pledge to tell story — BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL BARACK OBAMA BOWE BERGDAHL — One of the most striking elements of the Bowe Bergdahl affair is word that top Army officers were so anxious to keep the matter a secret …

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Hot Air, American Spectator, New York Times, CNN, Power Line, Washington Post, Washington Free Beacon, The Lead with Jake Tapper, The Natural Truth and RedState

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:

Bergdahl, Kerry and the left's view of the military. — “If I've lost Neuman, I've lost Middle America.” That's how we imagine President Obama reacting to being scathed by MAD magazine. The Usual Gang of Idiots tweeted a parody poster yesterday for “Barack Obama's Unfortunate New Movie,” titled “Trading Private Bergdahl.”

Discussion: Rational Irrationality, Questions and Observations, The Dish, alicublog, Taylor Marsh, Allen B. West, Hot Air, Townhall.com, BarbWire.com, Twitchy, Power Line and Weekly Standard

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Bergdahl Case Shakes Democrats' Confidence in Administration

Discussion: Hot Air, JustOneMinute and VodkaPundit

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Obama: ‘Absolutely no apologies’

Discussion: Washington Times, Washington Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, CBS DC, Daily Kos, Hot Air and Mashable

William Saletan / Slate:
Trading Taliban prisoners for a POW doesn't reward terrorism. It keeps our promise to our troops.

Discussion: PoliticusUSA, The Dish, National Review, Mashable and CNN

Peter Baker / New York Times:
Bergdahl's Life Was in Immediate Danger, Officials Say

Discussion: IMAGINE 2050

Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Attention, politicians: We see you deleting those Bergdahl tweets

Discussion: The Colorado Independent

Justin Sink / The Hill:
WH surprised by Bergdahl

Discussion: Politico, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press and Mediaite

Elliot Ackerman / The New Republic:
Bowe Bergdahl haunted us all

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Chicago Boyz, Yahoo! News, TIME, Balloon Juice, Business Insider, Slate and National Review

Jennifer Epstein / Politico:
Obama on Bergdahl deal: ‘No apologies’

Discussion: Firedoglake and The Daily Caller

The Clarion-Ledger:

McDaniel rep, others locked in courthouse — An official investigation has been opened into three people who were found locked in the Hinds County Courthouse hours after it was closed by election officials Tuesday after returns had been counted in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. — CONNECT

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, The PJ Tatler, Politico, Fox News, Mediaite, Red Racing Horses, Daily Kos and susiemadrak.com

Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:
Sheriff's Office: McDaniel Camp Account Of Courthouse Caper A ‘Fabrication’

Discussion: Daily Kos

Therese Apel / The Clarion-Ledger:
Hinds Sheriff's Dept. denies allowing McDaniel staffers access to courthouse after hours

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Mediaite

Harry Enten / FiveThirtyEight:
Is There a Favorite in the Republican Runoff For Senate in Mississippi?

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Clarion-Ledger and Taegan Goddard's …

Ricardo Baca / The Cannabist:

Inside look at what New York Times' Dowd was told about edibles in visit to Denver — When Pulitzer-winning New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd came to Denver in January 2014 to report on the newly legal recreational marijuana sales that had just begun throughout Colorado …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Firedoglake, Business Insider, Mediaite, Taylor Marsh and The Huffington Post

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:
Maureen Dowd's Cannabis Tour Guide Says He Warned Her About Edibles

Discussion: The Federalist, The Cannabist, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Daily Kos, VICE, Business Insider, BarbWire.com, Booman Tribune, The Dish, The Daily Caller, New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Reality-Based Community and Yahoo! News

Alana Goodman / Washington Free Beacon:

Hillary to New York Times: Back Off — Some of Hillary Clinton's closest aides blasted the New York Times for what they said was unfair coverage of the former first lady during a recent secret meeting with the paper's Washington bureau, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.

Discussion: Independent Journal Review, The Daily Caller, NewsBusters and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Mike Allen / Politico:
HILLARY SAYS NO LINGERING EFFECTS FROM HER CONCUSSION …

Discussion: CNN, Talking Points Memo, Hinterland Gazette, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, The Moderate Voice, People.com, The Huffington Post, ESPN and NPR

Michael Scherer / TIME:

Brian Schweitzer Isn't Holding Much Back as 2016 Approaches — Would he be a better president than Hillary Clinton? He thinks so — To get rid of the trash, former Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer either has to drive it away in a pickup from his remote lake house or burn it in a rusty oil barrel.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Mediaite, No More Mister Nice Blog and Washington Post

Jonathan Topaz / Politico:
Brian Schweitzer: Not ready for Hillary

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Evan Gahr / The Daily Beast:

Really, Dr. Carson? Obamacare Is Worse Than 9/11? — The Republican presidential hopeful thinks that Obamacare has caused Americans more pain than jetliners crashing into the World Trade Center and two costly wars. — Dr. Ben Carson, the Republican right's favorite African-American neurosurgeon …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Esquire, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Joe. My. God., The Raw Story and Mediaite

David Saleh Rauf / Texas Politics:

First draft of state GOP 2014 platform has revamped planks on immigration, homosexuality — Fort Worth — The first blueprint of the Republican Party of Texas' 2014 platform contains a revamped immigration plank that emphasizes a beefed-up plan for border security and a proposes a visa program …

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Mediaite, Right Wing Watch, The Raw Story, Joe. My. God., The New Civil Rights Movement and PinkNews.co.uk

ThinkProgress:
Texas Republican Party Drafts New Platform Advocating For Ex-Gay Therapy

Discussion: Dallas Voice, Right Wing Watch, Towleroad News #gay and Joe. My. God.

Jeremy Herb / Politico:

Bernie Sanders, John McCain strike VA deal — Sens. Bernie Sanders and John McCain have struck a deal on legislation to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand veterans' access to health care and make it easier to fire VA officials for misconduct.

Discussion: CNN and Mediaite

Jenn Taylor / Twitchy:

Obama admin official scrubs Twitter bio after suggesting Bergdahl's platoon was full of ‘psychopaths’ — Scrub-a-dub-dub. — When Brandon Friedman took to Twitter to plant the seeds for another attack on Bowe Bergdahl's whistle-blowing platoon mates, his bio proudly announced his role …

Discussion: Hot Air, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, Ed Driscoll, National Review, NewsBusters, Washington Free Beacon, TPNN and The PJ Tatler

Jordan Chariton / TVNewser:

Karen Finney's ‘Disrupt’ Cancelled — First on TVNewser: “Disrupt with Karen Finney” won't be celebrating its one-year birthday this weekend, as the 4pmET weekend show has been cancelled. “Disrupt with Karen Finney” has ended its year-long run on MSNBC weekends," an MSNBC spokesperson tells TVNewser. "

Discussion: FishbowlDC, Hinterland Gazette, Mediaite and Deadline.com

CBC News:

Moncton shooting: 3 RCMP officers dead, 2 wounded — RCMP searching for Justin Bourque, 24, and consider him ‘armed and dangerous’ — New Brunswick RCMP have confirmed that three officers were shot and killed and two other officers were wounded by a heavily armed gunman Wednesday evening in Moncton.

Discussion: Gawker