MSNBC’s extreme left-wing TV host, Chris Hayes, must have been pleased with himself after his dishonest, strawman-styled taunt on Twitter Monday, where he suggested that because conservatives question Obama’s Bowe Bergdahl exchange, they don’t care if the U.S. leaves soldiers in enemy hands.
This is, of course, a wild and childish oversimplification of the actual discussion being had over the Bergdahl exchange.
Still, it is odd that Chris Hayes is now sticking up for a soldier since this is the same Chris Hayes who said in 2012 that he was “uncomfortable” ever calling an American soldier a “hero.” This offhanded comment infuriated the Veterans of Foreign Wars group.
Hayes did try to push off complaints over his comments, “explaining” on his show that he was only trying to say that we use the word “hero” too much. He also said he was engaging in a “good faith” discussion about it, but our system is just too darn mean-spirited because it is “engineered entirely to make us hate each other.” It wasn’t really his fault, see?
Regardless, eventually he had to apologize for that comment.
While the jury is still out on a host of questions concerning Bergdahl’s actual status during the time he was in the hands of the Taliban, and while there seems to be ample evidence that Obama broke the law when he made the secret deal, no one at all is saying that we should leave soldiers behind.
An awful lot of unexplained questions about this deal exist, and the “American right-wing” are the only ones seeking answers. Convincing evidence also exists that Sgt. Bergdahl wasn’t captured on the battle field–contrary to what Obama’s National Security Adviser Susan Rice claimed–but actually deserted his unit and went to join the Taliban.
This is not to mention the American soldiers killed in action as they searched for Bergdahl. As many as six may have died in this futile effort, and these deaths are infuriating if the sergeant is a deserter and not a true POW.
In fact, if all this really occurred, if Bergdahl really was a deserter and intended to join our enemy, and other American soldiers died because of him, a proper reply to Chris Hayes might go something like this: “Am I correct that the American left-wing is arguing that it’s OK to commit treason?”
But there are still more unanswered questions. “Right-wing” Americans are also asking just which five dangerous terrorists Obama exchanged for Sgt. Bergdahl. The right is simply asking why this was the right decision.
Not only that, but it now seems quite evident that the President broke a law that he signed into effect himself, a law that stipulates that Congress must be made aware of such deals before they are made.
Finally, there are the many social media posts by Sgt. Bergdahl’s father, posts that criticize capitalism and the U.S. and give vigorous support to sharia law. This is also a strange thing that many are wondering about.
So, those on the right side of the political aisle have a lot of questions–and no answers–about these extremely important issues. But in no instance are any conservatives “arguing” that we should leave soldiers behind. To say so is merely a childish taunt and not a serious point.
After all, we don’t see Chris Hayes upset that Obama has done nothing to secure the release of Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, jailed in Mexico for no legitimate reason.
But one wonders if Hayes was as shocked and upset when then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton screamed, “What difference, at this point, does it make?” that we left four Americans behind in Benghazi in 2013; only that time, we left them all dead.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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