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 ...
Right. How many talking point edits?
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/04/obama-team-on-defense-over-rices-bergdahl-honor-comments/
Obama administration officials once again find themselves clarifying public statements made by National Security Adviser Susan Rice, after she claimed Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl served “with honor and distinction” — despite the findings of a 2010 Army probe that he deliberately walked off base
(snip)
Obama officials are trying to temper the controversy.
One administration official told Fox News on Wednesday that Rice simply meant that Americans should not forget Bergdahl was serving his country in general.
“She was referring to the fact that he was over there as a U.S. soldier, volunteered for service, and remember has just endured five years of brutal captivity,” the official said. “She wasn’t necessarily trying to characterize the circumstances of his capture which she said we’d have to learn more about — and let’s not get ahead of the facts that we don’t know yet. We haven’t heard his side of the story yet.”
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney also told CNN that what takes honor and distinction is that Bergdahl “put on the uniform of the United States voluntarily and went to war for the United States voluntarily.
“Chuck Todd: White House Expected ‘Euphoria’ Over Bergdahl’s Release”
F. Chuck (Kneepads) Todd would know.
And here I thought they were completely clueless.
Can it finally be that Obama has screwed up so badly that even the media isn’t going to let him get away with it?
Will they finally abandon Obama in order to save the “brand” (e.g. liberalism, Hillary, etc)?
It’s not controversial. It’s blatant treason, something we are use to seeing time and time again from our first unconstitutionally elected Islamic foreign born Marxist POTUS.
They can’t stop lying. It’s in their DNA.
Hotcha! That’s change of story number 44. I’m getting close to winning that beer bet with my friend that it’d be 50 by the end of the day. BTT
“Blindsided” does not even begin to describe the total chaos that ensued in the hours after the Rose Garden declaration by Robert Bergdahl that the grounds of the White Hut were now Muslim territory. After saying “bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim,” translated as “in the name of Allah, the merciful, the compassionate”, the Taliban was extremely pleased by the declaration.
As was Senator Harry Reid (D-Beijing).
That's why Obama went out there in the Rose Garden smiling with Jihad Daddy at his side and his arm snugly around Miniskirt Mommy and celebrated the return of their "hero" son who "served with distinction". He seems to be a hero to the Taliban and the distinction with which he served was not the good kind.
They are so stupid they actually thought everyone would just eat this $#!+ up like a Caramel Latte.
It was only after the SHTF that they came up with this latest round of lies.
Hey Obama, the scent of the Roses in that garden can't cover up the smell of the S#!+ you keep trying to pull.
I really hope the American People have had enough of this clown and his clown posse.
BTW where is Joe Biden on this?
Perhaps he realizes that if he ever really wants to be president, all he has to do now is just keep his trap shut and not say a word until after the impeachment proceedings begin.
..... So many out there in Low-Information land do not realize that, Obama, in doing so to prevent the death of the questionable Bowe Bergdahl ..... has in that same single feebleminded stroke ... condemned many more Americans as well as other freedom loving people to death from the repercussions and consequences of what he has just so carelessly and recklessly done.
How about dumbo eared fu@$#ng inept?
This is a flat-lie because they believed that...
1. The MSM would cover for them
2. The signed military NDA’s that had magically worked so many times before would keep the soldiers silent
They were caught TOTALLY FLAT-FOOTED.
“We are the ones we have been waiting for.”
The White House only knew it was going BAD ,when they saw it on the NEWS !!!!!!
If ten street gang members 'accidentally' knock the books out of a single young persons hands for the 3th time in a week, it's not an 'accident'. The gang wants a fight or subservience.
Obama and dem goons are pushing the insults before midterms... best NOT to give them what they wants. Plenty of time to get them after they're voted out of office or functioning as lame ducks.
They were so stuck to each other and lip smacking that I thought maybe they'd just left a 3-way tryst....ON THE NEWS...they showed that on the news.
Bet that Helle Washername from Denmark is jealous.
This mess was meant to divert attention from the VA problem and all the other controversies, and to repair their God's tarnished image. Now that the ploy has backfired, they are looking frantically for another diversion.
Will Clown Prince nobama invite the survivors of future Taliban attacks (by the murderers he freed) to a rose garden ceremony?
This administration is performing what is referred to as “gaslighting.” The stories they tell are meant to confuse the listener. There is no intention to inform, only to create cognitive dissonance and confusion. It is deliberate nonsense, meant to occupy your time and concern.
LYING. Even Chris Matthews told the truth yesterday, saying the WH DID expect this to be a good-news story as far as Berghdahl was concerned, only feared Repub criticism about the Taliban5. O was caught with his pants down when news of Berghdahls desertion surfaced along with news clips of his fellow Army "friends" revealing what they know.
Obama with his pants down is the worst image ever. Sorry. Barf.
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