CELEBRATING A DESERTER IN THE ROSE GARDEN. Regarding Bowe Bergdahl, Mark Steyn writes:

Cynicism about the politicization and corruption of all federal institutions is so widespread that this decision must be accounted something of a heartening surprise: the Army has ignored the recommendations of its investigating officer and decided that Bowe Bergdahl will face a general court martial for desertion and “misbehavior before the enemy”.

For some of us, who Bergdahl was was obvious from the first day. Yours truly, June 2nd 2014:

So the Taliban get five warriors back to return to the battlefield. And in return we get some Stockholm Syndrome deserter-revert to head up the next “War is never the answer” rally.

By contrast, the Administration was either deeply stupid, or chose to lie to the people:

Bowe Bergdahl was …declared by the laughably misnamed “National Security Advisor” to have “served the United States with honor and distinction”.

Deeply stupid, or chose to lie to the people? As they say at Red State, “Embrace the healing power of ‘And.’” As Steyn writes, “If there were a real press in this country, someone would ask Obama how it is that he became the first president to host a Rose Garden celebration for a deserter.”

Related: “I wonder if Barack Obama is insane enough to contemplate pardoning this guy, some time in December of 2016?  It would be, in fact, insane; but at the same time, the President’s got his own reputation to protect – or, more accurately, his own self-image to pander to.  God forbid that a man that the White House described as serving with honor and distinction should rot in a military jail for the next half-decade…”