A number of action-items are being refined, here, in addition to the major onefearing BHOs activities.

Alongside ongoing efforts to Mandate Holocaust Education in PA [which is inexplicably opposed by

Phillys Federation of Jewish Agencies] is the need [per an article in the Exponent] to recognize that it is
Time to step down, Temple University Adjunct Professor Alessio Lerro due to anti-Semitism that has
been widely-condemned locally and nationally [as was explored in a recent Blast e-mail, yesterday,
detailed five times in May, cited in temple-news, and noted by the ADL. [He was educated @ rutgers per
his C.V.; he was awarded an SAS Mellon Summer Research Grant to travel to two European
archives (Glasgow and Naples) to research the role of visual culture (typography, paintings, emblems) in
Giambattista Vico's Principi di Scienza Nuova; wrote a chapter in Trains, Literature, and Culture: Reading
and Writing the Rails, excerpted; and uploaded a banjo-medley.]

His posting related to the Modern Language Associations resolution condemning Israel
[It is time that Zionists are asked to finally account for their support to the illegal
occupation of Palestine since 1967. This resolution rightly targets only Israel given the
humongous influence that Jewish scholars have in the decision making process of
Academia in general.]. Fortunately, the Modern Language Association of America
announced that its members failed to muster the 10-percent vote required to pass this
resolution that would have condemned Israel for several alleged incidents in which US
academics were denied entry to the West Bank; the Modern Language Association failed
to pass a resolution Wednesday that would have condemned Israel as an occupying
power after not enough of its members bothered to vote. This escapade was captured
on a Blog about Stories that Cannot Possibly Have Occurred.

What is vital, here is that he recalled The Horror of Holocaust Denial, for its growing acceptability was
reflected in the fact that TEMPLE UNIVERSITY WOULD NOT CONDEMN HIM; Temple University stated
that a professor who accused Jews of potentially exaggerating the Holocaust to gain power and
influence has the right to do so because of academic freedom. The key-question is whether anything can
be done by activists in this regard, particularly by Temples alumni/ae. The situation appears similar to
the events surrounding revelations of Sterlings racism, notwithstanding the shrouded environment
through which the information had been revealed. What has not been achieved, yet, is any type of
acknowledgement by this guy of his error; the lack of contrition, one would think, should be damning.

This properly segues into the former reference, recalling that Rhonda Fink-Whitmans
video cited the ignorance of Temple University students; the overall situation was
fleshed-out during the nine days [summarizing analysis of key facets of the database;
synthesis of the challenges, exposure of Dybbuks requiring re-education; critique of
colloquy of an article in the Exponent (Debate Continues Over Holocaust Education);
distillation of the telephone-chat with the author of this article; a review of the current
political situation in Harrisburg; and a legalistic-update. Inded, rather than uploading my
aforementioned parsing of Eric Bergers piece in the Exponent, I simply wrote:

http://www.intercollegiatereview.com/index.php/2013/05/20/how-to-
be-a-really-lousy-journalist-for-fun-and-profit/

"Dont Sweat the Details; Dont Question Authority; Remember Your Job
Is to Advance Narratives, Not Report Facts; Quote Directly from Press
Releases; Pick Sides (i.e., promote sympathy for one side and hostility
for the other); Dont Describe People: Label Them; Hype the Issues You
Personally Care about and Downplay Those You Dont; Listen to the
Insects of the Hour; and Use Language Tricks to Obfuscate."

Each one of these flaws was manifest in this news article, noting the absence of a
shred of journalistic curiosity regarding the charge against the credibility of our efforts.
Therefore, efforts to achieve passage continue, primarily via the GOP-Leadership, and
necessarily emerging is the need to go-it-alone [as some advocates appear to recede];
this is the natural byproduct of frustration born of awareness of the grip of lobbyists.

Efforts to generate a movement supporting [Gay] Log Cabin Republicans in PA [MontCo] must take into
account the fact that they were denied Booth at Texas GOP Convention; historically, Metroplex
Republicans of Dallas, which split off from Log Cabin Republicans amid controversy in 2011, announced
plans on 4/20/2012 to affiliate with another national gay conservative group, GOProud, which bills itself
as a national organization of gay and straight Americans who seek to promote freedom by supporting
free markets, limited government, and a respect for individual rights. {Note that GOP Congressman
Dent now backs same-sex marriage, as TIME MAGAZINE determined that ATTACKING TRANSGENDER
BIAS IS THE NEXT 'SOCIAL MOVEMENT'.}

I would want to know if the proper reference is to LGBT or to LGBTQ [adding
reference to Queer] because Ive seen both, in my travels; I also explained to Leon
that, from the medical perspective, some may view this lifestyle as an aberration [only
because procreation is scientifically precluded], but that there is no pathological
diagnosis associated with this type of physiology. I wrote an essay two years ago that
was intended to differentiate marriage [with its proper boy-girl etymology] from civil-
union, but I suspect the SCOTUS-decision of a year ago has supplanted that paradigm.

My motive is based upon discussions with many people, including my
favorite critics [a lady-friend and my son], both of whom emphasize
that discounting Dems wont suffice if people cant even listen to the
GOP due to this one criterion; in my view, having softened the
Personhood posture by a policy-change by the NRC that seeks
banning abortions @ 20-weeks [due, allegedly, to the growing ability to
experience pain] reflects flexibility on the social-issues, and the
widespread softening on pot-use also suggests growing libertarianism
based on the concept that the government should not intrude into ANY
room of the house [living, dining, bed].

THEREFORE, I suspect that Mike and I would gladly [no pun intended] recede once a
chapter were to be established; it might encompass only MontCo, or it could be
expanded to the entire Delaware Valley [5 county-region] or even to encompass South-
Jersey [biting-off a bit much, here, but want to include the possibility for future-
reference].

One final-point is in-order; this type of roll-out must be carefully orchestrated, absent ostentatiousness
of any type or any see-I-told-you-so elitism; the Bible-thumpers must be helped to tolerate this
effort, as long as they dont feel it intrudes excessively. In this regard, they must be provided
appropriate endpoints, lest they fear slippery-slopes. For example, policy regarding the decision of a
baker not to sell Wedding Cakes [to anyone] should be permissible [based upon personal ethics],
although many classic scenarios regarding rudimentary business-decisions will also require scrutiny.
What must be eschewed is a guilty until proven innocent model [also affecting housing], for this would
empower government excessively. All these points are articulated to ensure key-concepts have been
disseminated; all are subject to spirited debate. We await instructions!

AG-KANE'S long-awaited review of the prosecution of child molester Jerry Sandusky
appears to clear CORBETT; her report suggests Corbett did not act quickly enough to
search Sandusky's home, which may have helped lengthen the probe, but it says there
was no evidence that he delayed the case for political reasons. {What remains unclear,
still, is why so few personnel had been assigned to the case.} Other issues churning in
Harrisburg include: Panel weighs arguments on bill to end payroll deduction of union
dues; PA voters back fracking, but not in parks; CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS
DOWNSIZING OF STATE GOVT PROPOSALS; Rendell put in a word for big donor seeking
PA pension business; Man in wheelchair sues Liquor Control Board over accessibility
issues; and Schuylkill County official seeks to intervene in PA gay marriage lawsuit. {Also,
a Philly Councilman's nonprofit not quite what it claims.} Locally, Vereb was re-elected
Montco GOP chair, Montco party chair Groen seeks re-election, and Abington GOP head
got county job and pay boost.

Bullet-points illustrate the profundity of the challenges confronting the USA, c/o BHO & the Dems:

Domestic Concerns

constitution center/ten-fascinating-facts-on-the-70
th
anniversary-of-d-day
President chews gum during ceremony
OBAMA CHOMPS ON GUM DURING D-DAY CELEBRATION
D-Day Vet Refuses Meeting with Obama
Lech Walesa to Barack Obama: 'I Wish the United States Would Lead'
SENATOR MICHELLE?

Biden Clarified Recovery: White House Didnt Guarantee High-Paying Jobs
92,009,000 Americans Not Working...Labor Force at 36-Year Low
7 Million Have Left Under Obama
Lethargic economy

The gunman-hero who used a shotgun to kill one and wound three on the Seattle Pacific University
campus was stopped and subdued by a student who sprayed him with pepper spray, then tackled him to
the ground; students of SPU identified the life-saving student as Jon Meis, whose Facebook "Likes" page
revealed he is a fan of Remington firearms, Kel-Tec firearms, and the NRA. [Nevertheless, the Seattle
Mayor Politicized Seattle Pacific University Shooting, claming it reflected an 'Epidemic of Gun Violence'.]
Good Guy with a Gun Stops Armed Attack on Georgia Courthouse
Rahm Emanuel Asked Critics to Support Chicago-Style Gun Control for Our Nation -
During a June 5 appearance on CNN's The Lead, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said if
critics of his recent gun control push really want to see gun crime diminished they
should join together for national gun laws like he is pushing in Chicago.
Author: 2
nd
Amendment Made Civil Rights Movement Possible - In his new book, This
Nonviolent Stuff'll Get You Killed: How Guns Made The Civil Rights Movement Possible,
journalist Charles Cobb shows how important guns were not only to leaders like Martin
Luther King, Jr. but also to many black Southerners who "believed in both nonviolence
and self-defense."
FIRST GRADER TURNS HIMSELF IN FOR HAVING TOY GUN, FACES EXPULSION

FEDS SHIP HUNDREDS MORE ILLEGALS TO AZ
GOP Lawmaker: House amnesty push gaining steam, predicts votes by August
SURGE: Kids crossing alone expected to triple
Border Patrol can't cope, predicts new wave of drugs, weapons, illegal immigrants
Admin Launches Program to Provide Lawyers for Children Facing Deportation
'DREAM Act' Deluge 'Compromising' Border Security
Cantor's 'Dream': Homeland Security Reports 90,000 Illegal Alien Children to Attempt
Border Crossing - Over 90,000 illegal immigrant children could attempt the dangerous
border crossing into the United States as Congress and the Obama Administration send
conflicting messages about what laws will be enforced
More than a dozen counties in SoCal releasing immigrants from jails
Admin Launches Program to Provide Lawyers for Children Facing Deportation
Cruz: Obama 'lawlessness' responsible for crisis
Laura Ingraham Emerges As Top GOP Primary Warrior - In an exclusive interview on
Tuesday, conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingraham told Breitbart News that one
of the reasons she is supporting candidates like Dave Brat in the 2014 mid-term
elections who oppose amnesty is that it will set the tone for the 2016 Presidential race.
GREG ABBOTT PROMISES TO SECURE TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER
No end in sight for 'dumping' policy
Hispanics to be majority within 25 years in Texas
Surge in Illegal Migrants Across the Mediterranean Now Greater than in Arab Spring

Judge Orders NSA To Stop Destroying Evidence -- For Third Time
'SECRET CABLES' TAP PHONES...
Cellphone operator reveals scale of gov't snooping

Smoking-Gun: According to a Department of Veterans Affairs "Memorandum" dated April 26,
2010. The Department of Veterans Affairs was very aware of the "cooking of the books" dating
back to 2008.

Backpack full of Obamacare enrollee info found in CT
First case of ID theft?

Common Core Group Announces 'Assessment Tool' to Rid Schools of Non-Common Core Tests
SC Gov. Nikki Haley Signs Bill Requiring State to Replace Common Core
Common Core Proponents Urge OK Gov. Fallin Not to Sign Common Core Repeal
North Carolina Nervous About Ditching Common Core Standards
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal Blasts Common Core, But Parents Demand Action
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin Signs Bill to Repeal, Replace Common Core Standards
STRONG STOP COMMON CORE PLANK COULD MAKE GOP PLATFORM

sound-and-fury rages in-mississippi; Cochran Vouched for Common Core Plan in 2010 Letter


Hillary Clinton Refused to Attack Sarah Palin
Quinnipiac: Clinton queen of 2016 PA prom, Obama numbers still bad
hillary-book-strategy-meeting-held at white-house - simple message: "Obama's team of
rivals became an unrivaled team." Tommy Vietor, a communications veteran of the
2008 Obama campaign who served as National Security Council spokesman during the
President's first term, has been brought on by the Clinton team to coordinate and assist
in the response to the book. In addition to working with the White House, the Clinton
camp has stepped up their messaging around the book's release to include a
coordinated surrogate operation.

Cruz: 'Texas will lead fight for freedom' and Perry brings Republicans to their feet.

Personalities: Jerry Lewis Opens Up About Son's Suicide
FAHRENHEIT DIVORCE: Michael Moore, Wife Tangle Over Dollars

Foreign Policy Concerns

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION GIVES IRAN SIX-MONTH FREE PASS ON SANCTIONS
Netanyahu loathes Barack Obama, and his hostile attitude to the US president constitutes a danger to
Israels well-being, the head of the Israeli opposition charged on Friday night, in a highly unusual
acknowledgement of the long-rumored strained personal ties between the two leaders
Hamas - Fatah Unity Government Threatened After Violent Clashes & Arrests
OBAMA ADMIN HAS ENGAGED TERRORIST GROUP HAMAS IN TALKS FOR OVER 6 MONTHS
PRO-PALESTINE CHARITY HEAD REFUSEd TO CONDEMN STONING OF ADULTERERS
Venezuela and Cuba Providing Easy Access for Islamists to US and Canada
12-ways-the-us-administration-has-failed-its-ally, israel
A Christian man was captured by Muslims in Syria, and forced him to declare the Shahadatan (There is
no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger); after he stated the heretical creed, they deemed
him an infidel anyway and brutally beheaded him.
Sudanese Meriam Ibrahim's Brother Has No Brotherly Love: She Deserves to Die
Witnesses: Boko Haram Militants Slaughter Hundreds

Chinese Navy, air force rapidly expanding size and reach
Argentina appoints new secretary of 'national thought'

Bergdahl

Bergdahls Army Comrades May Be Psychopaths, Says Administration Official
USA sees 'substantial progress' in freeing more Gitmo detainees this year
Harry Reid on Freed Taliban: 'I'm Glad to Get Rid of These Five People'
Sarah Palin: Obama Admin Doesn't Respect Vets Who Served with 'Real Honor and
Distinction'
Palin: Obama's 'Elitist Bubble' Clueless Because They Never 'Served Honorably in
Uniform'
Sarah Palin to Bowe Bergdahl: Use Rosetta Stone to Relearn English
Taliban Commanders: Bergdahl Was 'Cursing His Countrymen'
Obama Did Not Consider Negotiating Release of Other US Hostages
With Bergdahl Free, Obama's Double Standard on Cuban Prisoner Alan Gross Made
Clear - In the wake of the Obama administration's decision to trade five high-level
Taliban officials to free Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, the only Taliban captive in the
American military's history, those concerned about arrested USAID worker Alan Gross
are beginning to ask why the White House won't trade Cuban spies to free a U.S. citizen.
Taliban Commander: Americans Now High Value Targets for Kidnappings After Bergdahl
Deal
Rice Backtracked On Bergdahl: Young Man Whose Circumstances We Are Still Going To
Learn About
In possibly one of the most incredible cases of Stockholm Syndrome to date, sources
say Bowe Bergdahl has escaped US custody and chartered a plane to Afghanistan.
Krauthammer: New Rosen Report Argues Against Speculation Bergdahl Tried To Join
The Taliban
Krauthammer: Bergdahl Still In Hospital Suggests 'Witness Tampering' By Obama
Officials
Released commander vows to return to fight
PODHORETZ: How Obama's media strategy unraveled
Psychologist Worries 'Erratic' President May Not Be 'Sane'
matthews-slammed-white-house-for-saying-soldiers-are-swift-boating-bergdahl
CLAIM: Bergdahl converted to Islam; Declared jihad
Susan Rice defends 'honor and distinction'
Released commander vows to return to fight
Feinstein: No Evidence of 'Credible Threat' to Bergdahl
BUCHANAN: Somewhere in Hell, Bin Laden Is Smiling
obama-made-the-right-decision-on-bowe-bergdahl [yeah, right]
White House faces growing fury
Hagel Defends Bergdahl Trade: 'Irrelevant' Taliban Considers Trade a Victory
Gen. Stanley McChrystal on Bergdahl: 'We Should Not Judge Until We Know the Facts'
Harry Reid on White House Bergdahl Call: 'What Difference Does It Make?'
The Shifting Sands of Obamas Bergdahl Defense - If America's newly-freed POW really
was a deserter, the White House is in deep trouble.
officials: threat to bergdahls-life-led to action
Megyn Kelly's Interview with 6 Members of Bergdahl's Platoon
MSM Test Runs Narrative Changes to Shield Obama from Bergdahl Criticisms - After
several days of heavy criticism directed against President Obamas decision to trade five
of the worlds leading terror masterminds for a suspected Army deserter, Americas
mainstream media, lead by its top daily newspapers, the New York Times and
Washington Post, appears to be stumbling upon a narrative that provides some cover
for the President.
6 Ways Obama Provides Support for Terror Regimes

This is c/o NROs Jim Geraghty:

Obama Official: 'What If [Bergdahl's] Platoon Was Long on Psychos and Short on
Leadership?'
Meet Brandon Friedman, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development; he previously served as Director of
Online Communications at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a veteran; he was
as an infantry platoon leader and executive officer in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne
Division, completing combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2004.
So he has firsthand familiarity with the war on Afghanistan. However, last night he
asked some questions that a lot of people are likely to interpret as smearing the
members of Bowe Bergdahl's platoon.
At 11:44 p.m. last night, discussing the Bergdahl deal, Friedman asked the world on
Twitter, "What if his platoon was long on psychos and short on leadership?"


Interesting that his comments contend Bergdahl is being smeared, but that he
doesn'tseem to see his own "long on psychopaths" comment as a smear.
American Government Needs to Become Reacquainted With the Truth
We can't be governed like this. Shameless lies about life-and-death matters erode the
consent of the governed.
The president wants to empty out Guantanamo Bay by the time he leaves office, and
perhaps as soon as by the end of the year. As the Obama administration sees it, once
the war in Afghanistan ends at the end of the year, we don't have a right to hold our
captured Taliban any longer.
You may recall that on the afternoon of September 11, President Bush declared that we
would treat those who shelter, support, fund, or feed terrorists the same way we treat
terrorists. Throughout his presidency, he repeatedly set a clear standard: "If you harbor
terrorists, you are a terrorist; if you train or arm a terrorist, you are a terrorist; if you
feed a terrorist or fund a terrorist, you're a terrorist, and you will be held accountable by
the United States and our friends."
We made a clear offer to the Taliban: Turn over al-Qaeda, or you're at war with us.
Mullah Omar made his choice. ("He chose . . . poorly.") At no point have they said
"uncle" or surrendered. Mullah Omar hasn't come out of hiding to say, "Alright, alright,
we won't shelter al-Qaeda anymore." In fact, we dropped that demand, if you believe
unnamed official sources in the Daily Telegraph:
One official significantly added that a requirement for the Taliban to drop relations with
al Qaeda something which had stymied previous attempts at direct talks was no
longer necessary in order for them to progress.
"We've long had a demand on the Taliban that they make a statement that distances
themselves from the movement from international terrorism, but made clear that we
didn't expect immediately for them to break ties with al-Qaeda, because that's an
outcome of the negotiation process," the official said.
We never recognized the Taliban as the legitimate ruler or government of Afghanistan.
Yet now we're talking about returning their guys because our president wants the
Afghanistan war to be over. (As someone put it, you can tell whether we won in
Afghanistan by the fact that we're negotiating with the Taliban, the guys we set out to
fight.)
And the message is spreading through Afghanistan . . . the bad guys are loose again.
Taliban forces led by Mohammed Fazl swept through this village on the Shomali plain
north of Kabul in 1999 in a scorched-earth offensive that prompted some 300,000
people to flee for their lives.
Fifteen years later, local residents here are responding with fear and dismay to the U.S.
release of the notorious commander, along with four other Taliban leaders in exchange
for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only American prisoner of war who was held by the Taliban.
Keep in mind, all of these guys are associated with al-Qaeda or attacks against
Americans:
In addition to Mr. Fazl, other released detainees also played major roles in the former
Taliban regime. Khairullah Khairkhwa, a minister of interior in the former Taliban
government, served as the militant group's liaison to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden,
according to a 2008 Pentagon assessment. Noorullah Noori, once a senior Taliban
military commander in northern Afghanistan, led Taliban forces against the U.S. and its
Northern Alliance allies during the 2001 invasion, according to the Pentagon.
Pentagon assessments describe the two other former prisoners, Mohammed Nabi
Omari and Abdul Haq Wasiq, as linked to other Islamic extremist groups, including al-
Qaeda.
The president does this in complete contradiction of public opinion.
A prisoner exchange Saturday that released U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five top-
level Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay has sparked debate over negotiating
with terrorists. Fully 84 percent of voters are concerned that making deals with
terrorists will encourage those groups to take more American soldiers hostage. That
includes a 57-percent majority that is "very" concerned and another 27 percent that is
"somewhat" concerned.
Only 15 percent aren't worried deals like this will put more troops at risk.
Back to Guantanamo Bay. The Obama administration has convinced itself after the
Iraq withdrawal, after the Arab Spring, after the collapse of Syria and the 160,000 dead
there, after the Benghazi attacks, after Boston that somehow if we shut down
Guantanamo Bay, that will create a discernable reduction in anti-American attitudes
around the world and particularly in the Muslim world.
What's more, the Obama administration seems to think that by releasing the most
dangerous members of the Taliban in custody, they will make the Taliban more
peaceful, agreeable and cooperative:
During the same debate, officials were considering the emerging prisoner-exchange
proposal. White House advisers believed that a successful exchange would not only free
Bergdahl but would also encourage moderate Taliban members to take an Afghan-led
reconciliation process seriously.
The Gitmo prisoners are all members of groups that have pledged to kill Americans,
tried to kill Americans, or have actually killed Americans. If an American is convicted of
killing another American, they're sentenced to life in prison or perhaps the death
penalty. A lot of folks think Gitmo is pretty cushy considering their former lives in places
like Afghanistan.
Obama himself admitted that in the case of these released detainees, there's
"absolutely" a chance that these guys will go back to trying to help their allies kill
Americans again. So, to sum up: If these guys stay in Gitmo, there's no chance they'll kill
an American in the future. If they get released, there is, in the president's own words,
"absolutely" a chance they kill again in the future. Where is the upside for us? What do
we, the American people, get out of this deal?
(One caveat: The Qatari government has to know that if any of these five get loose and
kill Americans, the outrage from the American public will be volcanic. You have to
wonder if the Qataris have some back-pocket "unfortunate car accident" plans if any of
these five seem a little too eager to get back to the battlefield.)
Anyway, if Obama were a better president, he would level with all of us, and declare, "I
intend to hand off all of the Guantanamo Bay detainees to foreign governments by the
end of the year."
Of course, the reaction from the public would be apoplectic, as Obama would be
announcing that he would be effectively un-doing years of unbelievably difficult work
which cost the blood, treasure, and lives of the U.S. military and our intelligence
agencies, and putting all kinds of ruthless terrorists in the hands of governments that
may or may not be all that diligent about keeping them under control.
Obama doesn't do that. He tries this deal for these five as a trial balloon. Of course, he
doesn't tell Congress, not even Senator Dianne Feinstein, because she would say no.
(Strangely, he appears to have told Senator Harry Reid alone.) He goes ahead and does
it, even though the law requires him to give Congress 30 days notice.
When the president needs an excuse for ignoring the law, he trots out Chuck Hagel to
say Bergdahl's health was failing. I'll let doctors decide how bad his health is, but he
didn't look quite so bad in that video. Even then, how long does it take to inform
Congress? It requires a few secure phone calls. You could do it in an hour.
Ignoring the Legislative Branch is pretty bad, although it's not clear the public will get up
in arms about members of Congress being irked they weren't kept in the loop. But the
public can, should, and I suspect will be mad when the administration lies to them.
Certainly, members of our military could not abide the administration's claim that
Bergdahl was a hero or Susan Rice's claim that Bergdahl "served with honor and
distinction."
(Although I suppose being captured by the Taliban is pretty distinctive.)
Charles Lane, usually one of the most sensible non-conservative columnists out there,
writes:
Obama made a bit of a fool of himself by treating Bergdahl's impending return as
appropriate for Rose Garden celebration, complete with grateful parents, even though
he knew, or easily should have known, that Bergdahl is hardly a hero.
That attempt to gin up an election-year feel-good story fell flat, as did national security
adviser Susan Rice's clueless depiction of Bergdahl's Army career as one of "honor and
distinction."
White House efforts to glorify Bergdahl were matched by the right's efforts to demonize
him. He stands accused of desertion, which is indeed a very serious offense. Convicting
him of it under military law requires proof, which we don't yet have, that he intended to
leave his unit for good or sought to avoid a hazardous assignment.
Okay, but we have nine members of his platoon coming forward and contending he is a
deserter. We have some evidence after all, he went missing! and we have, at this
point, not even a theoretical alternate explanation for his actions. He just went for a
walk? Sleepwalking? No gun, vest, or night-vision goggles? Come on, Charles, the
circumstantial evidence fits. Of course Bergdahl deserves his day in court. And he'll get
it. But let's not pretend that these nine other soldiers don't exist because they're
proving so inconvenient to the administration's narrative.