Military Judge, Col. Jeffery Nance, handed Bowe Bergdahl a stunningly lenient sentence today reducing Bergdahl’s rank to Private, reducing his pay by $1,000 per month for ten months, handing him a dishonorable discharge and then allowing him to walk away without jail time.  According to NBC News Judge Nance did not make any further comments.

Last week Bergdahl plead guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy and faced up to life in prison.  The judge let him walk with a reduction in rank and a fine.
Private Bergdahl, knowingly and with intent, walked away from his base in Afghanistan on June 30, 2009, and was captured by the Taliban within hours.  Six U.S. military servicemen were killed trying to find him.  In 2014 President Obama traded five Gitmo Taliban terrorist detainees for him in a very controversial prisoner exchange.

The decision on Sergeant Bergdahl is a complete and total disgrace to our Country and to our Military.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2017

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Sometimes there’s a level of irony that goes beyond the normal boundaries of ordinary irony and simultaneously creates a tear in the space-time continuum of DC hypocrisy; this is one such example.
Representative Frederica Wilson, a devoted member of the professional grievance club, has been at the epicenter of a story surrounding the death of Sergeant La David Johnson in Niger ever since Wilson politicized the bereavement call of President Trump, and the bereavement of Sgt. Johnson’s widow, her constituent, Myeshia Johnson.
Representative Wilson has also claimed she was unaware of why we are carrying out military engagements in Niger, and has called the mission “President Trump’s Benghazi“.

Given that level of expressed outrage it might surprise people to know that it was Representative Frederica Wilson who personally constructed H.R. 3383 / S.1632, joint House and Senate legislation that directs the State Department and Dept of Defense to execute military missions in Niger.  Yes, in 2016 Wilson demanded military campaigns in the same place Wilson claims not to know about in 2017.

From her own 2016 press release:Washington, D.C.– In a long-awaited victory, the U.S. House of Representatives today by a voice vote passed  H.R. 3833/S. 1632, legislation introduced by Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (D-Florida) and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) to help combat Boko Haram.

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[Extensive Regional Back-Story after Presser and MSM report] – Earlier today Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford held a press conference to discusses the four U.S. deaths during a mission in Niger on October 3rd and 4th.  General Dunford walks through the initial timeline as an investigation is ongoing:

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WASHINGTON — An emerging theory among U.S. military investigators is that the Army Special Forces soldiers ambushed in Niger were set up by terrorists, who were tipped off in advance about a meeting in a village sympathetic to local ISIS affiliates, three U.S. officials who have been briefed on the matter told NBC News.
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Earlier today President Donald Trump awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor to Captain Gary Michael Rose, United States Army.

[Transcript] 3:27 P.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Chaplain Hurley. Vice President Pence, Secretary Shulkin, members of Congress, members of the Armed Forces, and distinguished guests, please join me in welcoming Captain Gary Michael Rose to the White House. (Applause.)
For many years, the story of Mike’s heroism has gone untold. But today we gather to tell the world of his valor and proudly present him with our nation’s highest military honor.
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An amazingly strong gold star widow, Natasha De Alencar, released audio of a phone conversation she had with President Trump in April of 2017 after the death of her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Mark R. De Alencar, who was killed in Afghanistan.

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Against the backdrop of congresswoman Frederica Wilson criticizing President Trump for calling a widow of a fallen U.S. service member to express his condolences, Chief of Staff General John Kelly denounces the shameless politicization. Watch:

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When a business entity forms the largest and most important decision they make is who will lead the organization.  That decision, beyond all other decisions, has the potential to destroy the business and long-term brand image of the entity.
The National Football League has destroyed itself.  In a free-market system customers have the ability to turn away from any product or service against their interests.

Announced during a post-meeting press conference today, the N.F.L has decided not to enforce it’s own rules on player conduct.  Instead the league will continue to let players kneel or sit during the national anthem without a penalty, capitulating to demands by the athletes for free expression but potentially further alienating fans who object to the protests and feel those expressions are disrespectful to the flag and the military.
Conversely, after the meeting with union representatives and players, the social justice league promised to support causes targeted by the protesting players, including reform of the criminal justice system and continued disparagement toward law enforcement officers.
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It should not be forgotten that President Obama’s National Security Adviser Susan Rice previously stated that Bergdahl: “served his country with honor and distinction.”  Now today:

ABC – Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy via his attorney Monday.
Bergdahl, 31, was charged after he disappeared from his base in Afghanistan in June 2009 and was held in captivity by the Taliban until May 2014.  A judge said Bergdhal’s maximum possible punishment would be life in prison, but he has not been sentenced yet. (read more)

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One of the more anticipated interviews this weekend is Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussing the Iran Nuclear Agreement (JCPOA) with the insufferable Jake Tapper.
One of the things noted from both Trump’s national speech on Iran, and Tillerson’s statements this morning, is open and unusually visible public support for the “Green Movement” (political opposition) in Iran.

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There is a myriad of complexity within the Iran issue that extends beyond the substantive issue of whether or not President Trump should again certify compliance with the Iran Nuclear Deal.
For clarity, President Trump would not be ending the deal or ending the agreement.  The President is required (every 90 days) to certify if Iran is upholding the terms of the nuclear agreement.  The next certification is due on October 15th.  If President Trump does not, because he cannot, certify compliance – he notifies congress.  It’s up to congress to decide what to do from there.
Therefore President Trump would not be “tearing up” the agreement, nor would he be “ending the agreement”, he would simply be notifying congress of the compliance of Iran, or lack thereof, according to the monitoring agencies that report to the President.  That’s it.  Now to Senator Tom Cotton.  Watch:

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Senator Cotton can be an ally for MAGA (see immigration), or he can be a concern for MAGA (see aggressive military intervention), depending on the issue.  It is also important to understand how lobbying efforts impact policy positions as they relate to military intervention.  There are interests in DC pushing us toward military conflict with Iran.
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