Courtesy of Media Matters:
Many Fox News hosts and pundits rushed to brand recently released Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl as a deserter and a traitor, but Shepard Smith took a different line by saying he was "disgusted" by the rush to judgment, cautioning that Bergdahl is innocent until proven guilty.
You know I often wonder if Shep is being held at Fox News against his will.
I mean he really does not seem to be on the same wavelength the majority of the time.
I am sure MSNBC could provide a time slot for him. Hell as far as I'm concerned he can have Chris Matthews' slot.
Update: Speaking of Sgt. Bergdahl I think that before passing judgment on the man that everybody needs to read this Rolling Stone article.
TOTALLY O/T: The Palin Curse Continues
ReplyDeleteThe Hinds County Sheriff's Department is investigating why three people, including a high-ranking Chris McDaniel campaign official, were found locked in the Hinds County Courthouse in Jackson hours after an election official says the building was closed early Wednesday morning.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2014/06/04/tea-party-official-locked-inside-courthouse/9963579/
Apparently one woman had a cell phone but waited quite a while to call someone. Nope, nothing suspicious here at all. Dirty dealings are just how the GOP/TP rolls anymore.
DeleteSheriff's Office: McDaniel Camp Account Of Courthouse Caper A 'Fabrication'
Delete"It's a fabrication that someone pointed them to a door," Hinds County Sheriff's Department spokesman Othor Cain told the Clarion-Ledger. "I think that's a total misrepresentation of fact. None of our guys let anybody in."
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sheriff-s-office-refutes-mcdaniel-camp-account-of-courthouse-caper
Witness: Mississippi Courthouse Trio's Stories Aren't Matching Up
Deletehttp://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/mississippi-courthouse-drama-conflicting-stories
Courthouse Story Getting Weirder
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/courthouse-story-getting-weirder
Thanks for linking to this article, Gryph!
ReplyDelete“He fought like a boxer.”
ReplyDeleteSo, he wasn’t a whiny little coward after all. He was a morally confused and conflicted young man. This reinforces my belief that children need the public school experience, if for no other reason than to offset parents and introduce healthy doubt and skeptical/critical thinking.
Agree, Shepherd Smith doesn't fit in with the Fox News manifesto.
ReplyDeleteThe jump to accuse Bergdahl and his family is wrong. Is it so wrong for a soldier to have second thoughts (if this happened) on the field? They are human after all. If the military camps have psychologists on stand-by to treat soldiers who may be having struggles of conscience, or who need psychiatric evaluations for any reason, doesn't that tell the critics anything? War is hell. Being away from family for months is hell. Living on the edge, waking up every day wondering if people they trust in the occupied area will suddenly turn on them? The extreme psychological stressors are enough to put even the toughest into mental instability.
Is nothing sacred anymore to these ring-wing robots? This romanticized fantazical idol-worship element of the troops that Repub politicians BS with, is sickening. I am sure the troops do not want all that attention and reverence. They are heroes in that they don't want the fanfare, but just want to do their job honorably and come home in one piece, and probably want to be left alone, working out the demons through time and peace and quiet.
It's the Palin types that put them up on the pedestal and when some have a mental crisis, the Palin type abandons them and spits on them. It just makes me cry.
Totally agreed, and if anyone is familiar with and should sympathize with mental breaks it's Palin types. They ARE mental.
DeleteImagine being over there in the middle of a war that is strictly for the benefit of rich people. People like Cheney who NEVER served, but enriched himself through Halliburton no-bid contracts. One report said Bergdahl was disgusted by his fellow soldiers laughing about killing children. Remember Pat Tillman? He saw the lihght, was killed by "freiendly fire" and it was several years before the truth came out about his death. The troops stick together. Is it possible some of these soldiers are afraid the truth about their actions will be exposed once Bergdahl gets finished? Little Johnny McCain knows better than anyone how LIES can be advantageous. Lies turned him into a "hero" with feet of clay.
Delete"Is it possible some of these soldiers are afraid the truth about their actions will be exposed once Bergdahl gets finished?"
DeleteOf course.
This rush to judge Bergdahl has been awful to watch. He appears to be a truth teller and aware of his emotions - hope his 'truth' nails the assholes (other soldiers)!
DeleteI'm on Bergdahl's side and that of his family. The Republicans and media have been horrible to both! America is one messed up country and it's almost embarrassing being a part of it it!
I love the fact President Obama came out today and stated he is comfortable w/his decision (and that of the military generals that assisted in it!) He is NOT backing down to the Republicans any more and it's wonderful to see!
I always think about when Shep said "That from mitt rmoney. Politics is weird.... and creepy." Nailed it!
ReplyDeleteSo with you on bumping Chris Matthews for just about anyone else. Finally had enough and removed him from my DVR queue. Had quite enough of his flip-flopping sputter and spit. Glad to hear Fox rating is steadily sliding downward and not surprised that MSNBC is suffering too. Seems each show covers the exact same topic using the same video clips from Fox etc.
ReplyDeleteI am so with you and Gryphen about Chris Matthews. I have been so ticked off about his reporting on the Bergdahl news. He has turned into a little "piss-ant".
DeleteGryph: Totally agree with you about Chris Matthews. I stopped watching him! His stance on things has changed considerably in the recent months. MSNBC is not what it use to be - their ratings have dropped considerably and I suspect Matthews changed his rhetoric because of it. He should retire or move to FOX!
DeleteCheck this out, this is the face of the GOP.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mediaite.com/online/here-are-the-gop-primary-campaigns-that-have-talked-to-the-cops-in-the-last-24-hours/
I was so disgusted by Chris Matthews' apoplectic, saliva-spewing tirade over the prisoner exchange that I've vowed never to watch him again. He has always been difficult to watch -- his attention span is shorter than the satellite delay, so the interruptions and outbursts really kill any meaningful dialog with anyone not sitting right across from him, and even then he interrupts -- but he has gone round the bend as far as I'm concerned. Get. Someone. Else.
ReplyDeleteNot to worry, Lara Logan will be back on 60 Minutes shortly. Maybe she will take time to actually fact check her stories instead of pursuing her married co-workers this time?
DeleteI stopped watching 60 Minutes exactly because of the Lara Logan debacle. Can't believe they brought her back. Wait a minute, what am I saying? Of course they brought her back!!
DeleteI don't watch Chris Matthews much anymore mostly because he interrupts his guests because they don't or won't support his POV. He must have been told that his ratings are falling or something because he is courting the right-winger tact of obfuscation and shrill commentary. I wish he would ask the question and let his guests answer otherwise why have guests if all he wants to do is promote his view?
ReplyDeleteShep is Fox's way of supporting their claim to "fair and balanced". I wholly agree about Mathews.
ReplyDeletePresident Barack Obama doubled down Thursday on his handling of the Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl prisoner swap, saying he makes 'no apologies' for releasing five Taliban terrorists in exchange for the safe return of an accused U.S. Army deserter.
ReplyDelete'I make absolutely no apologies for making sure we get back a young man to his parents,' he said in Brussels during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, 'and that the American people understand that this is somebody’s child and that we don’t condition whether or not we make the effort to try to get them back.'
'We had a prisoner of war whose health had deteriorated, and we were deeply concerned about [him],' Obama told reporters. 'And we saw an opportunity and we seized it. And I make no apologies for that.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2649726/Obama-I-make-no-apologies-Bergdahl-prisoner-swap.html
Shep is Fuck News token liberal.
ReplyDeleteBob Beckel , Juan Williams, Geraldo Rivera, and a couple of blonde women that I forgot name. I think Greta is a moderate progressive. I do not think she has ever voted conservative.
DeleteOn Bowe Bergdahl, White House bets on GOP overreach
ReplyDeleteThe signs are everywhere this morning that the skirmishing over the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner swap is set to escalate into a protracted political battle that could go on for weeks or months. And the White House is placing its bet on Da Crazy.
That is to say, White House officials are bracing for months of assaults on Obama’s handling of the swap, but they believe the Conservative Entertainment Complex will veer into over the top attacks that will alienate the broader public, which won’t see the basics of the situation in such lurid terms.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/06/05/morning-plum-on-bowe-bergdahl-white-house-bets-on-gop-overreach/
ReplyDeletePresident Obama on Thursday stood by his decision to negotiate for the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
"We have a basic principle. We do not leave anybody wearing the American uniform behind. We had a prisoner of war whose health had deteriorated and we were deeply concerned about, and we saw an opportunity and we seized it, and I make no apologies for that," Obama said when asked about the controversy surrounding the prisoner swap at a press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron in Brussels.
"We had discussed with Congress the possibility that something like this might occur, but because of the nature of the folks that we were dealing with and the fragile nature of these negotiations," he continued. "We felt it was important to go ahead and do what we did, and we're now explaining to Congress the details of how we move forward. But this basic principle that we don't leave anybody behind and this basic recognition that often means prisoner exchanges with enemies is not unique to my administration."
Obama explained that the release of Bergdahl should not be a "political football," but said he wasn't surprised that it became a controversy in Washington.
"I'm never surprised by controversies that are whipped up in Washington, right? That's par for the course," he said.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/obama-no-apologies-bergdahl
The GOP and media keep trying to drag him down with lies, but he brushes off their slurs, holds his head high, keeps working to make life better for all, and keeps staying on top
Deletehttp://theobamadiary.com/2014/06/05/44-winning-every-day/
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/06/05/president-obama-at-the-g7-summit/
Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) chastised some members of his party Tuesday for their reaction to the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, saying they should stop acting the prisoner swap President Barack Obama arranged was unprecedented.
ReplyDelete"I'm a little bit disturbed by some of the Republicans out there who keep saying this has never happened before," Labrador said during an interview with the radio station 670 KBOI in Boise, Idaho. "That is not entirely true. If you look historically, at the end of any conflict, you have a swap of prisoners, and that happens. Usually our side will release people that are less than desirable in order to get some of our people back in these swaps. So I would suggest that anybody who's being hyper-critical about this, they should look at the history. This has happened before."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/05/raul-labrador-bowe-bergdahl_n_5452401.html
Obama Shames Republicans As He Refuses to Apologize for Freeing Bowe Bergdahl
ReplyDelete...Republicans are trying to whip up a scandal, because they can’t win with their agenda, so the only option they have strategically is to drag their opponents through the mud. What is different about the Bergdahl situation is that they have chosen also to smear a soldier and his family.
None of the Republican behavior has been proper, appropriate, or in the least bit patriotic. By attacking Bergdahl and his family, Republicans are demonstrating that they can’t be trusted to support the troops that they sent into war.
President Obama was 100% correct. There is no apology necessary for bringing a prisoner of war home. Republicans should be apologizing to Sgt. Bergdahl’s family for their deplorable political attacks.
By standing tall, the president is destroying what was left of the myth that Republicans care about and support the troops and their families.
Oops, the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politicususa.com/2014/06/05/obama-shames-republicans-refuses-apologize-freeing-bowe-bergdahl.html
After His Bergdahl Comments Thursday, Joe Scarborough Needs To Be Taken Off The Air NOW!
ReplyDeleteOn Thursday’s episode of Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough went way over the line when discussing the situation surrounding the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, an american POW who was finally brought home after nearly five years in captivity. Apparently, Scarborough was off at the beginning of the week and this was his first opportunity to talk about the growing controversy, created solely by conservatives in the media and Republicans in Washington, over Bergdahl. What we were presented with was a disgusting display that actually put Joe’s recent over-the-top demonstrations to shame.
Below is video of the segment, courtesy of MSNBC:
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/06/05/bergdahl-comments-thursday-joe-scarborough-air-now.html
That's Joe off his meds, prattling away and shooting a canon of half truths, lies and fox news talking points. Not ONCE did the term "allegedly" leave his lips, so in his eyes, he's judge, jury and executioner.
DeleteCall 212-664-2333 along with their sponsors and demand the show be axed. Three hours of dead air would serve msnbc better than this.
The Taliban Threatened To Kill Bowe Bergdahl If Anything Leaked About The Prisoner Swap
ReplyDeleteRead more: http://www.businessinsider.com/bowe-bergdahl-taliban-death-threat-obama-senators-2014-6#ixzz33mvn9Zg7
Hagel: Decision To Free Bergdahl Was Unanimous
Delete"It was our judgment based on the information that we had that his life, his health were in peril," Hagel told the BBC in an interview in Romania.
"It was our judgment, and it was unanimous by the way .. that we didn't want to take any chance here."
He said the secretary of defense, the secretary of state, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, director of national intelligence, and attorney general, had all come to the same conclusion.
"You imagine if we would have waited for, taken the chance of leaks over a 30-day period. I will tell you what I know, and I made a judgment on this too, that would seriously imperil us ever getting him out," he said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/05/hagel-bergdahl-decision-unanimous_n_5451621.html
Graham is so angry and white, he is threatening the African American President with impeachment if he attempts to close Guantanamo Bay or release any more Muslim detainees captured when America invaded two sovereign nations during warmonger president George W. Bush’s administration. Republicans still cannot accept that Americans elected an African American as President, or that he is not waging pre-emptive wars against Muslim nations, so an impeachment threat over bringing home an American soldier held as a prisoner of war, however unpatriotic, is nothing new for Republican intolerance of a Black President.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politicususa.com/2014/06/05/lindsey-grahams-threat-impeach-president-racial-animus-obama.html
Oh my! Miss Lindsey's checking his prostate with his entire head when a gloved finger would suffice. Yes, there's and African American President in the White House and Americans of all hues voted him in - twice.
DeleteThe Guardian's Sean Smith met Bergdahl a few days before Bergdahl went missing. Smith recorded other troops in Bergdahl's unit expressing disillusionment with the mission in Afghanistan but didn't hear it from Bergdahl.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.democracynow.org/2014/6/3/reporter_bowe_bergdahls_fellow_soldiers_questioned
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/30/afghanistan-sean-smith-frontline-report
Right-Wingers are LYING When They Claim Eight Soldiers Died Looking for Bergdahl
DeleteThe New York Times, in a bit of fact-checking, reviewed the casualty reports from the military logs dating back to that period and have found that the circumstances surrounding those deaths are not as definitive as they originally suspected.
During the period when the military was most intensely searching for Bergdahl, two soldiers were killed — at an outpost that came under attack, not patrolling or searching for Bergdahl. The other six soldiers died in late August and early September. This is in spite of Bergdahl’s critics blaming every single death in Paktika province on him from June to September 2009.
According to the New York Times report:
http://aattp.org/right-wingers-are-lying-when-they-claim-eight-soldiers-died-looking-for-bergdahl/
The GOP is Heading for a World of Hurt on Bergdahl, here's why
Deletehttp://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/05/1304556/-The-GOP-is-Heading-for-a-World-iof-Hurt-on-Bergdahl-here-s-why
GOP response to Bergdahl is the new McCarthyism
ReplyDeletehttp://politicalmurder.com/2014/06/05/gop-response-to-bergdahl-is-the-new-mccarthyism/
http://politicalmurder.com/2014/06/04/lots-of-gop-hypocrisy-on-pow-bergdahls-release/
http://politicalmurder.com/2014/06/02/obamas-pow-release-omg-how-about-reagan-and-iran-contra/
I stand by the President's handling of this prisoner swap. For those who are convicting this POW (and he was a POW) shame on you. He is entitled to a fair trial which will determine whether his actions constitute treason or any other charges. To those who are acquitting him, the same sentiment applies. None of us knows what transpired but the facts will come out. The speculation is just that...speculation. And of course it makes for good media fodder. Just sayin'
ReplyDeleteSheesh
Hell, we got McCain back and we KNEW he had collaborated with the Viet Cong. He made propaganda films for them. He's got no room to criticize anyone.
ReplyDeleteThe Rolling Stone Article hit the bullseye. These Fox cowards should be ashamed of themselves, along with many in the GOP. Some are treading on thin ice as far as I'm concerned and need to be held accountable for their words and actions.
ReplyDeleteShep Smith is the only one so far that I've heard has cajones and stands by his convictions, I don't watch FOX so I can't speak for others. I'm all for having this guy on MSNBC.
We have a soldier who's in the beginning stages of being evaluated, and the public in his own home town already have their fangs out wanting to deny him a dignified welcome. It reminds me of how our soldiers were treated after Viet Nam. It's inhumane, immoral and not what America stands for.
What a stunning contrast between this article and its comments versus past IM posts about Edward Snowden.
ReplyDeleteSnowden is vilified with unfounded accusations and vicious character assassination, much of it expressed with more loathing than literacy.
On the other hand, support for Bergdahl is eloquently expressed and includes what seems to this regular IM reader as a near-record number of links to reputable and informative news reports.
Yet both men have become media targets for the same reason: when confronted with first-hand proof of what America really stands for -- whether that's intelligence gathering in clear violatation of the 4th Amendment or waging unnecessary wars with such ineptitude that it's self-defeating -- BOTH men lost their faith in America.
More than once after reading some "Snowden's a traitor!" comment, I've wanted to respond: "What would YOU do if, after swearing your allegiance and secrecy, YOU discovered unimpeachable proof out that our government was violating its Constitution and laws as a matter of daily policy?"
(That posting such a question was certain to attract only irrational rage always justified not posting it. Now it has me wondering how "heroic" MY answer would be.)
One majoir difference between Bergdahl and Snowden is how THEY answered it: one went AWOL, the other went public. Bergdahl chose self-preservation in the form of simply walking away, Snowden is trying to affect change by exposing the truth.
In neither case do we have all the facts -- we're as ignorant about whatever (if any) information Bergdahl gave his Taliban captors as we are what secrets (if any) Snowden has divulged to "enemies" like China or Russia.
It's also important to recognize how taffy-like the news has become, with various powerful factions pulling in different directions in the hope Americans will swallow their politically-motivated narrative.
For Bergdahl, IM seems to fill the factual void with compassionate calls for cooler heads ... for Snowden, it's an open latrine.
Just to be clear: this is NOT a defense of Snowden, merely a suggestion that the same standards of justice -- especially "innocent until proven guilty" -- should apply equally. to ALL our "traitors."
Who knows? If every American had to honestly answer the hypothetical question posed above, we might find we have FAR more "traitors" than we'd thought -- much less ever find the time to vilify.
Well stated.
DeleteSheesh
Rumor on the web is Shep wanted to come out as gay on his TV show and Fox said no. He may end up at another network,
ReplyDeleteThey build up Shepard Smith's credibility among the Fox doubters for when they need to push a new meme to that audience. Then this audience will go: "hey, if the usually reliable Shep says so, then it must be true"
ReplyDeleteThis is how scam artists work as a team.