GOP Lawmakers Say Obama's Prisoner Exchange Violated Law

[Chelly]

I guess they don't love their troops.

[Adam Jensen]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27654454



Glad he's home, although the issue of him walking off base with just a water bottle and compass needs to be investigated thoroughly.

But the cost was very steep. I wouldn't expect anything less from this President though.

But were they ever tried and convicted?

[MerinPally]

!@#$ them.

Its literally against the law for active duty military to criticize or mock their commander, and I hope they get dealt with appropriately.

#1. He brought a POW home.

I don't care what you think about the person, how the GOP have slandered him, or what he had to get him home. THATS WHAT YOU DO.

The main thing sustaining you as a POW is the faith that your country will do everything they can to get you home. If your country can suddenly say "Oh, he never paid his parking tickets, so he's not really worth bringing home." Then you're making it that much harder for future POWs to survive.

#2. "Since when do we negotiate with terrorists!"

The US has been doing POW trades since before we were even a country. Get over it.

Honestly, the GOP is shooting itself in the face with this one. If they hadn't taken such a huge offense to it, Obama might not have gotten such a big win... but not only does he get the win for BRINGING A POW HOME... but the GOP publicly goes on the record for being anti-military.

Thread won, everyone can applaud this man and go back to editing conservapedia to paint a gay, black, gypsy, muslim female as the second coming of Christ and have a wonderful time.

[Nilinor]

Personally I don't know what this is being argued on this website. Each side is so firmly entrenched in their dogma that neither will give to what the other is saying regardless of how good or bad it is.

So far most of the threads are made by conservative leaning people against Liberal leaning people (there are a few the other way but its moreso this way). All that happens is people pick their own side, make excuses for it and status quo on this website is renewed.

I would honestly like to see this the other way around for comparison, if it was a Republican president and liberal congress when this occurred. Oh well one can dream of a day when people that argue on the interwebs actually weigh and contrast their views with other views as opposed to just blindly following their own beliefs like a bunch of religious zealots.

[Hooked]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-...ost-five-years
The circumstances surrounding Bergdahl's capture remain something of a mystery. There has been some speculation that he willingly walked away from his unit, raising the question of whether he could be charged with being absent without leave or desertion.

In 2012, Rolling Stone magazine quoted emails Bergdahl is said to have sent to his parents that suggest he was disillusioned with America's mission in Afghanistan, had lost faith in the US Army's mission there and was considering desertion. Bergdahl told his parents he was "ashamed to even be American."

The only reason Obama did the trade was to deflect the va scandal.

[Adam Jensen]

So he's a deserter.

That means we do what we're suppose to do: bring him home, try him for desertion and give him the appropriate sentence according to the conviction. He was not getting his due process while in a Taliban prison.

Same goes for the people in Gitmo, by the way.

[Tastyfish]

I would honestly like to see this the other way around for comparison, if it was a Republican president and liberal congress when this occurred. Oh well one can dream of a day when people that argue on the interwebs actually weigh and contrast their views with other views as opposed to just blindly following their own beliefs like a bunch of religious zealots.

I think there would be less vitriol, and more praise.

[Binary Speaker]

The Republicans are pissed off because we brought a POW home? Do they even know what they stand for anymore?

No they are pissed because they couldn't be like "Okay so we will approve of this exchange of prisoners but only if you repeal the ACA!"

[Adam Jensen]

No they are pissed because they couldn't be like "Okay so we will approve of this exchange of prisoners but only if you repeal the ACA!"

That would not surprise me at all.

[bayushisan]

!@#$ them.

Its literally against the law for active duty military to criticize or mock their commander, and I hope they get dealt with appropriately.

#1. He brought a POW home.

I don't care what you think about the person, how the GOP have slandered him, or what he had to get him home. THATS WHAT YOU DO.

The main thing sustaining you as a POW is the faith that your country will do everything they can to get you home. If your country can suddenly say "Oh, he never paid his parking tickets, so he's not really worth bringing home." Then you're making it that much harder for future POWs to survive.

#2. "Since when do we negotiate with terrorists!"

The US has been doing POW trades since before we were even a country. Get over it.

Honestly, the GOP is shooting itself in the face with this one. If they hadn't taken such a huge offense to it, Obama might not have gotten such a big win... but not only does he get the win for BRINGING A POW HOME... but the GOP publicly goes on the record for being anti-military.

Here's the problem, and I'm no Republican or even conservative these days. President Obama directly violated the law and his Constitutional authority with this act. That is what is troubling, and what's more so is the pass he's being given because the Republicans have been jackasses about everything. Them being jerks doesn't negate the President's wrongdoing when he actually does violate the Constitution and the law. This is the problem with American politics these days. People aren't even willing to admit when one side does something that's actually illegal or cop to the crap in their own midst. It's why I abandoned the Repubs and want nothing to do with the Dems.

Edit: Also, yes you're right about active military members being barred from openly criticizing the current Commander in Chief.

[Tastyfish]

The only reason Obama did the trade was to deflect the va scandal.

Its only a scandal on CNN and FOX...

[Xeones]

The law, passed as a rider to the annual military appropriations bills, states that the Secretary of Defense must notify Congress 30 days before any transfer of Guantanamo detainees.

When Obama signed that law, he issued a signing statement saying he will not follow that provision because he finds it an unconstitutional infringement on his powers (to which I saw, bullshit, because all signing statements are bullshit. Congress legislates, period.)


Obama pretty flagrantly broke the law here. Even the white house isn't denying it. They are just pointing to the signing statement as a fig leaf. That is their entire justification.

So really, if you consider Obama as having just committed a crime or not, depends if you consider signing statements legitimate or not. For my part, I've considered them among the most illegitimate things Presidents capable of doing going back to Clinton (not to mention the immense number Bush authored).

But really the legality of signing statements is obscured, just like the War Powers Act, because for decades no group of politicians has been interested in the political fight that needs to happen and needs to go to the Supreme Court. They instead care more about focusing on ones - like the dumb as rocks Obamacare and Benghazi dead ends - that don't.

Thanks for clearing that up. My initial thoughts were that congress had no need to know everything that happened within the executive branch. In this case it's either they accept his protestation of the constitutionality of it or take it to the supreme court and have them decide.

[Tastyfish]

Here's the problem, and I'm no Republican or even conservative these days. President Obama directly violated the law and his Constitutional authority with this act.

You honestly do not know that. That is your opinion.
IF you think you do, lets make a bet. My money is on the constitutional lawyer and his wife in the white house, the other lawyer, and the team of lawyers attached to him.

[Hooked]

It's funny. One would think that the people of a nation should have to be deserving of having an army defend them and their liberty, but I guess that's just not the case. It is truly amazing to see people go off fight wars and die for people who absolutely don't deserve any defense whatsoever.

That's the point he left willingly, he ran off and left his fellow soldiers. He basically said f all of you, im outta here. It would be different if he was actually on a mission and got taken prisoner, but he simply ran off.

[mvaliz]

Normally I'd report meme photos...

...I just couldn't for this one. It was just too damn funny and spot-on. ^_^

[Sky High]

So he's a deserter.

That means we do what we're suppose to do: bring him home, try him for desertion and give him the appropriate sentence according to the conviction. He was not getting his due process while in a Taliban prison.

Same goes for the people in Gitmo, by the way.

I'm on the fence. he is just one soldier for 5 men. a few of them have some pretty hefty allegations surrounding them as well. to me it isn't worth one guy.

[Adam Jensen]

Its only a scandal on CNN and FOX...

And what exactly does the VA scandal have to do with Obama? Both sides of the fence have called for Shinseki's head, and both parties and the president have condemned the misconduct.

[Deleted]

he was disillusioned with America's mission in Afghanistan

Every single person capable of rational thought has been disillusioned with America's mission in Afghanistan for a decade now. All this proves is that the guy has a brain.

to me it isn't worth one guy.

Easy to say, when it's not you putting your life on the line. Is your life worth five raggedy Taleban who can be taken out at any point with a drone?

[Tastyfish]

And what exactly does the VA scandal have to do with Obama? Both sides of the fence have called for Shinseki's head, and both parties and the president have condemned the misconduct.

Exactly! Thank you.
This is not diverting from, "the VA scandal" lol
it's not even a scandal imho.

[mvaliz]

The Republicans are pissed off because we brought a POW home? Do they even know what they stand for anymore?

Yes they do - pretty much if a Democrat does anything, Republicans must invent any reason they can to explain why that action is evil, unlawful, and violates the constitution/founding fathers visions/individual freedoms/whatever and they should be removed...