Let’s quickly nip this one in the bud……
The White House political and communication team know they are in a world of political hurt for not notifying congress of the pending Bergdahl deal to swap Taliban officers for the missing army soldier. Now they attempt to spin their way out with another ridiculous justification.
BREAKING: Officials: Congress not told of swap because Taliban threatened to kill Bergdahl if it leaked .
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 5, 2014
There are many factual issues with this latest justification construct from the Denis McDonough/Ben Rhodes crew, which now extends into the military via Chuck Hagel. FULL AP story HERE
One of the more brutally obvious flaws in the “make-believe” is one of facts and history.
FACT – Before the Osama Bin Laden ‘Kill/Capture mission’ both Senate Intelligence Committee head Dem Senator Diane Feinstein, and Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, were briefed during discussion of the mission.
A full week prior to the actual raid on OBL compound both Feinstein and Chambliss were told of the mission.
They were also briefed when the mission launched.
If the far more dangerous mission to capture Osama Bin Laden was not at risk of being leaked, it defies credulity to think a reasonable White House justification for not telling them about a POW/Gitmo swap was fear they would leak information about the less dangerous prisoner exchange.
Such a claim is absurd on its face, devoid of credibility, and transparent in its falsity.
No, what the White House is trying to do now is “cover their exposed political ass”.
The White House made a specific political decision to try and gain political benefit from the release of Bowe Bergdahl. It was a political decision to hold a Rose Garden ceremony to that end.
When viewed through a primary political prism the concerning unintended consequences of actual risk from repeat terrorism take a back stage. Those worries fall into the “down the road” category.
The “how can we benefit now” question becomes the primary consideration.
The cost/benefit analysis, when the political benefit white-board is used, becomes skewed toward ‘optics’ and other arbitrary considerations. Chance, whim and impulse become the common denominator of such short-sighted actions.
The “other stuff”, the important considerations, the far more dangerous stuff, takes a backseat to the rabid impulses of an immature team seeking only to look good while doing something of consequence.
The politicization of Bowe Bergdahl began in the Rose Garden. Everything else is a consequence to that. pic.twitter.com/BNBgjjbSZs
— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) June 5, 2014
The White House team rushed their political objective to completion because they knew in the sunlight it would not have any support. The claim of danger from a leak -as the justification for the rush to completion- is so patently absurd only the entrenched ideologues, the Hope and Change crowd, will buy it.