Posted on 06/05/2014 12:49:18 PM PDT by maggief
The White House knew the decision to swap Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five imprisoned Taliban members would be controversial and never expected it “to be a good news story,” communications director Jen Palmieri said Thursday.
Palmieri framed Obama’s decision to exchange the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay for Bergdahl as an obligation, and said the White House wasn’t surprised it created a firestorm.
“We knew that this was going to be a controversial decision,” Palmieri said during an interview with MSNBC. “That was why we wanted the president to speak to it.” Palmieri’s comments follow stories in The Hill and other media that extent of the criticism of the deal, particularly that related to Bergdahl personally, had surprised the administration.
But Palmieri on Thursday said the White House knew lawmakers would object “based on past conversations,” she said.
The White House had floated the idea of a prisoner swap to members of Congress more than two years ago, and key lawmakers have said it was greeted with almost unanimous opposition.
Palmieri also said the administration knew the swap would draw attention to allegations that Bergdahl deliberately walked away from his camp before being seized by the Taliban.
“We knew that there was information in the public domain, some people who were critical of Sergeant Bergdahl, critical, we think, unfairly and because we don't know what happened,” Palmieri said.
“So it is not something that we expected to be a good news story,” she continued. “It was something that the president as commander in chief was obliged to do, and he explained to the American people why he took those actions.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Ubama thought his captive press could suppress the truth, but the Interwebs never forgets.
But they expected the MSM to cover for them.
Because they're so used to a compliant media willing to carry their water for them.
This statement, an obvious lie, is proof positive the obozo administration was caught flat-footed and completely surprised by the popular reaction to this crime.
Which means of course that they were blindsided by the public reaction.
The White House knew the decision to swap Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five imprisoned Taliban members would be controversial...? YEAH! It’s always controversial when you break the law!
It was something the Pres__ent HAD to do to get the VA scandal off of the front page. And HEY! It WORKED!
It was actually a twofer! Obama got to free some of his blood drenched brothers from Gitmo and the VA scandal no longer is being talked about...
I thought that WH aides told reported Chuck Todd that they were completed amazed by the criticism? Which is it?
Obamafib # 4 ?
Weren’t they saying on Tuesday that they were “surprised” by the “backlash?”
These guys are conniving snakes.
Dude! That was like two days ago.
Wait a minute, 2 days ago they were supposedly stunned that the country did not celebrate the homecoming of a war hero.
another part of the story that keeps changing.
“Controversial”?
Or “bald faced treason”?
This is devolving into utter silliness. Are the worms trying to out do one another for ‘most idiotic’ stance on this mess?
Dear God, not sure why feel like laughing when I weep inside for lives lost.
lie of the day, but it’s early
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