That seems to be the “strategy” of the Obama administration and the liberal media. If not a strategy it is certainly the effect.
For their part the liberal media does its best to ensure that nothing gets systematically analyzed in prominent view of the public to see the full import or implications of the “controversial” event – each new scandal soon becomes an “old story” and the public is to “move on,” with their help of course.
The media has either resigned itself Obama being so incompetent that the scandals are merely signs of good intentions gone wrong, and therefore need not be uncharitably dwelled on, or they recognize he is doing his damnedest and they do not want to help create any “tipping point.” He is still their guy.
At least that was our reaction to the headline from The Hill. Bergdahl Bumps VA From Spotlight. Oh, and a few other things:
Terrorists upgraded to legitimate warfighters
And the, there’s these inane administration statements below, quoted in the Hill article above. One doesn’t need translation to understand that these are no more than bullsh-t talking points.
Administration officials hit back hard against the insinuation that Obama negotiated with terrorists and broke the law requiring him to notify Congress 30 days before the release or transfer of Guantanamo Bay prisoners.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice in separate Sunday show interviews said that Obama acted within his constitutional authority as commander in chief, forced to act against non-state actors as Bergdahl’s health was deteriorating.
We are assured by these same administration officials that that the Defense Department consulted with epartment of Justice officials prior to the transfers. Perfect. Chuck Hagel’s department talked to Eric Holder ’s department “prior to the transfers??!!!!! THAT’S HOW WE KNOW IT’S ALL ON THE UP-AND-UP??????? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
Obama’s Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. Regarding the five terrorists swapped for Bergdahl :
“We didn’t negotiate with terrorists,” Hagel said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Sgt. Bergdahl is a prisoner of war, that’s a normal process in getting your prisoners back… We don’t let anyone out of Guantanamo, and I will not sign off on any detainee coming out of Guantanamo unless I am assured…that we can efficiently mitigate any risk to American security.”
An incredible convoluted “Hagelian” statement if there ever was one. But it is a statement that we are at “war” with the Taliban. Hagel undermined the left’s argument that the whole of Iraq and Afghanistan were illegitimate.
And Where was the Wall Street Journals Head
From the WSJ today: “This does not mean we agree with Republicans who say President Obama broke the law by failing to inform Congress 30 days in advance of the prisoner release from Gitmo”. The Journal’s editorial goes on to say that the law is “unconstitutional because “it sought to constrain Mr. Obama’s war-time decision-making”.
We guess it’s just us poor dopes out here in the “non-ruling class” who wonder, signing statements notwithstanding, why a president would sign a bi-partisan piece of legislation he “knew” was unconstitutional in the first place.
Is this the new power trick for Obama without concomitant recourse for Congress. Instead of a line item veto (usually reserved for spending matters) which a President does not have anyway, Obama may simple issue a memo at the signing as to what part of the legislation he feels bound to follow. How pathetic is Congress if they let him get away with this. How far up is the WSJ’s head on this one not to see the implications of this, especially in the hands of someone like Obama.
DLH and R Mall
