Afghan POW Freed After Five Years

[RDU Irish]

You win elections?

How do you hold a lame duck president accountable?

 

[T Town Tommy]

How do you hold a lame duck president accountable?

The only thing he gets passed in the next two years will be with his "pen" through Executive Order. Then those will end up in court for years after he leaves office.

 

[connor_in]

It's one thing to talk about it, it is another thing to actually do it. It has been done two times in the nation's history -- both times by right wing republicans and both times for political purposes that did not rise to the level of an impeachable offense, like covering up a burglary and abusing the power of the office or knowingly starting a war under false pretences. Nixon resigned before being impeached over Watergate, and W was never impeached, although he almost certainly could have been. IMHO. Both republican attempts to oust political opponents failed. In fact, the law that they impeached Andrew Johnson on was later declared by the Supreme Court to be Invalid (he removed Edwn Stanton from his cabinet without the consent of Congress, which, at the time, was a violation of the Tenure of Office Act). Clinton capitalized on the public's distaste for the witchhunt to become more popular than he had ever been during his presidency.

I believe Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were the two impeached presidents...I think Nixon left before it was official. So your "both times by right wing republicans" you are either referring to the second time being Johnson or the about to be impeached Nixon. I don't know many of the details of Johnson, but it was an extremely different age...and in the case of Nixon, if you think only right wing republicans were after him, then there is no further point to this discussion.

 

[RDU Irish]

1). Override a veto with a 2/3 majority
2). Congresses "power of the purse"
3). Lastly Impeachment
Those are the only ones that come to mind.

Well, he isn't sending these things through Congress, so bypass #1.

When you intend to impose expensive mandates on your opponents, you circumvent #2

Leaving only #3 which is tough to accomplish with Dems leading the Senate (and Joe Biden in the bullpen, YIKES). An folks like GoIrish can claim it is all political anyway.

It leaves me to believe the President can pretty much do whatever he wants and Impeachment is the only recourse. So he can administer death by a thousand papercuts all day since no single event will be a "big enough deal" to merit an outcry.

 

[RDU Irish]

Completely horrible thought here - what if Bowe goes and blows up a building with a crazy Allah ridden manifesto left behind after he is set loose? Other than being "unpopular" what recourse would we have against Obama for a historically ironic turn of events?

 

[irishog77]

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[condoms SUCk]

Well, he isn't sending these things through Congress, so bypass #1.

When you intend to impose expensive mandates on your opponents, you circumvent #2

Leaving only #3 which is tough to accomplish with Dems leading the Senate (and Joe Biden in the bullpen, YIKES). An folks like GoIrish can claim it is all political anyway.

It leaves me to believe the President can pretty much do whatever he wants and Impeachment is the only recourse. So he can administer death by a thousand papercuts all day since no single event will be a "big enough deal" to merit an outcry.

Oh you're right, he can pretty much do what ever he wants. The sad thing there will be 40% or so who will defend him till the end. Out of the remaining 60%, a good percentage just don't give a fuck.
For those of us who pay attention and actually care, it's very sad to watch this develop in front of us knowing we're almost powerless to stop it.

Unless you want to start a revolution
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" Thomas Jefferson- some old white guy

 

[ab2cmiller]

Oh you're right, he can pretty much do what ever he wants. The sad thing there will be 40% or so who will defend him till the end. Out of the remaining 60%, a good percentage just don't give a fuck.
For those of us who pay attention and actually care, it's very sad to watch this develop in front of us knowing we're almost powerless to stop it.

Unless you want to start a revolution
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" Thomas Jefferson- some old white guy

While I'm sure that there is a decent percentage that truly doesn't care, I would argue there is a larger percentage that really do care, but they have resigned themselves to the fact that they can't do anything about it. That even if I contact my rep or write letters to the editor or yell from the tallest building, that none of it will change anything.

The result is a significant number of people that hate what they are seeing, but have simply given up feeling that they can't do anything about it.

 

[kmoose]

I think "Mission Accomplished" is trademarked.

Since when has the law meant anything to Obama?

 

[GoIrish41]

I believe Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were the two impeached presidents...I think Nixon left before it was official. So your "both times by right wing republicans" you are either referring to the second time being Johnson or the about to be impeached Nixon. I don't know many of the details of Johnson, but it was an extremely different age...and in the case of Nixon, if you think only right wing republicans were after him, then there is no further point to this discussion.

I think it was clear from my post that Nixon was not impeached, and resigned to avoid that possibility. Johnson was the first president impeached because he fired Edwin Stanton from his cabinet without the consent of Congress -- a violation of the Tenure of Office Act. At issue was how the Southern states were to be treated. Johnson supported the gentle treatment of the southern states to bring them easily back into the fold of the United States government, while the Radical Republicans, who led the charge for impeachment, wanted to punish the south and allow them back only under military state governments. Getting rid of Stantin was only an excuse to try to force their will on the nation (sound familiar?). The Tea Party would have loved the Radical Republicans.

 

[ACamp1900]

I agree with cs... too many people will support the letter next to whoever's name regardless and far too much of the rest of the country doesn't pay any attention at all...

 

[kmoose]

I think it was clear from my post that Nixon was not impeached, and resigned to avoid that possibility. Johnson was the first president impeached because he fired Edwin Stanton from his cabinet without the consent of Congress -- a violation of the Tenure of Office Act. At issue was how the Southern states were to be treated. Johnson supported the gentle treatment of the southern states to bring them easily back into the fold of the United States government, while the Radical Republicans, who led the charge for impeachment, wanted to punish the south and allow them back only under military state governments. Getting rid of Stantin was only an excuse to try to force their will on the nation (sound familiar?). The Tea Party would have loved the Radical Republicans.

And Karl Marx would have loved modern day Democrats. We could throw this kind of mud around forever, and get nowhere. In fact, the professional politicians in America have been doing just that. That's what has brought us to where we are, today.

 

[condoms SUCk]

While I'm sure that there is a decent percentage that truly doesn't care, I would argue there is a larger percentage that really do care, but they have resigned themselves to the fact that they can't do anything about it. That even if I contact my rep or write letters to the editor or yell from the tallest building, that none of it will change anything.

The result is a significant number of people that hate what they are seeing, but have simply given up feeling that they can't do anything about it.

I'll give you that.
If more people became engaged, I feel politicians would become more responsive.
A lack of engagement breeds corruption and incompetence.

 

[GoIrish41]

I'll give you that.
If more people became engaged, I feel politicians would become more responsive.
A lack of engagement breads corruption and incompetence.

On this we can agree.

 

[NDFan4Life]

Exclusive: Afghan villagers recall when Bergdahl stumbled into their midst - The Washington Post

 

[BobD]

Maybe Slenderman made Bergdahl desert AND Obama make this ridiculous swap.

 

[NDFan4Life]

Don't know why this doesn't get more traction in the press:

U.S. concluded in 2010 that Bergdahl walked away

Oh... wait a minute. Yes, I do.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Hearing some similar sentiments from both right and left leaning media outlets that they believe that this whole prisoner exchange was more about starting the process of emptying Gitmo then it was about getting a "POW" returned.

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[Polish Leppy 22]

I wish we had the inside info about this exchange because standing on the outside looking in, it looks very bad. Negotiating with the Taliban and handing them back 5 of their stooges is just plain stupid. Now every American hostage that low lifes around the world can get their hands on is worth at least 5 terrorists.[/QUO

bout time you said something that makes semse. Don't forget the 6 soldiers who lost their lives looking for this duche

 

[yankeehater]

Heard Obama just heard about the Bergdahl release for the first time while watching the news.

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

Taliban and others who hate America have to be laughing at us. Fundamental transformation.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Boy is this thread interesting; actually amazing!

I cannot tell you how much I have learned putting a few minutes into reading this thread!

Thanks everyone!

 

[T Town Tommy]

Boy is this thread interesting; actually amazing!

I cannot tell you how much I have learned putting a few minutes into reading this thread!

Thanks everyone!

A lot of speculation on everyone's part. From news accounts yesterday, there were many reports that the guy justed walked away from his unit after making it known that he was disenfranchised with the military and sympathetic to the Afgan people. Even the Pentagon concluded he deserted. Not to mention those that should know - his fellow platoon members.Then I hear reports that while he was with the Taliban, he displayed symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome. All of which may be true.

I agree with most that I am glad he is home. I don't necessarily agree with how the whole swap took place and how Congress was bypassed. I think we should simply wait until the truth comes out and then we will have a better understanding of it all. The President needs to declassify his records, doctors who are treating him need to weigh in, and Bergdahl himself needs to speak. I think the American public and those defending us have a right to know the truth.

 

[ulukinatme]

Is it possible the exchange was orchestrated to get our hands on Bergdahl and put him on trial for desertion and possibly leaking military secretes? If that was the case, I'm somewhat okay with the prisoner exchange if we were just planning on letting these Gitmo guys go free.

 

[irishog77]

Is it possible the exchange was orchestrated to get our hands on Bergdahl and put him on trial for desertion and possibly leaking military secretes? If that was the case, I'm somewhat okay with the prisoner exchange if we were just planning on letting these Gitmo guys go free.

I'd say no. Bergdahl's rank and unit probably excludes him from knowing anything of consequence to leak. Plus, obama and susan rice have gone on the offensive and have been nothing but praiseful of him individually and of him as a "POW."

 

[IrishJayhawk]

McCain endorses negotiating with terrorists...oh wait...

Did John McCain flip-flop on the Bergdahl deal?

 

[ulukinatme]

Six Soldiers Who Served with Bergdahl Come to Chilling Consensus in Riveting Megyn Kelly Interview

 

[RallySonsOfND]

Yeah, the more information that comes out, the more it seems he was not a POW.

 

[BobD]

The kid is an idiot. Even the Taliban don't want him. They would have probably given us more terrorist to take him back.

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

The kid is an idiot. Even the Taliban don't want him. They would have probably given us more terrorist to take him back.

Kid? He's 28. Last Sunday, Gallup had the president's approval rating at 50%. Today it's at 44%. My guess is the Bergdahl deal. Freakin disgusting, but it's "his government."