Susan Rice Doubles Down On "Served With Honor And Distinction" Characterization Of Bowe Bergdahl

This woman is ridiculous.

"I realize there has been lots of discussion and controversy around this," Rice said. "But what I was referring to was the fact that this was a young man who volunteered to serve his country in uniform at a time of war. That, in and of itself, is a very honorable thing."

Ok but that's not a caveat that she included in her original statement.

“Certainly anybody who’s been held in those conditions, in captivity for five years, has paid an extraordinary price. But that is really not the point. The point is that he’s back,” Rice told ABC host George Stephanopoulos when asked whether Bergdahl was a deserter and whether he’d face punishment.

“He is going to be safely reunited with his family. He served the United States with honor and distinction. And we’ll have the opportunity eventually to learn what has transpired in the past years, but what’s most important now is his health and well being, that he have the opportunity to recover in peace and security and be reunited with his family. Which is why this is such a joyous day.”

Yes, volunteering to join the military is an honorable thing but that's really the first step in one's entire military career. Signing up in and of itself isn't "service". Plenty of people sign up but never make it to boot camp or even through boot camp. One wouldn't say they "served with honor and distinction". They may have intended to and for whatever reason were unable to fulfill that ideal but they would not be accorded the same level of honor or distinction as someone who did.

By Rice's standard that simply signing up for the military means on has "served with honor and distinction" then you'd have to apply that same praise to Robert Bales who killed 16 Afghan civilians.

No one in this administration is capable of simply admitting they ever did anything wrong. Every stupid mistake is compounded by increasingly ridiculous excuses and spin that insults anyone with half a brain.

Added: Via @JohnEkdahl

Does anyone know why @AmbassadorRice is tweeting praise for Obama from Lech Walesa in the middle of the #DDay70 ceremony?

— Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) June 6, 2014

Best and Brightest, yo!

Oh and I forgot the best part. You better sit down before reading this because you're in for a shock. If you criticize Susan Rice, it's not because she's terrible at her job but because you're, wait for it, sexist and racist.

To the contrary, Obama officials imply that it may be Rice who is owed an apology. “She sort of brings out this craziness in a certain crowd,” says one Administration official. “If something is taken a half-notch out of context, it’s calls for her resignation and vicious ad hominem attacks against her.”

“I’m not here to suggest it’s because she’s a woman or a minority or what it is,” the official continues. “But other principals in the national-security team don’t come under this kind of attack.”

Wait. "other principals in the national-security team don’t come under this kind of attack"? Chuck Hagel* (to pick just one example at random), call your office.

*I changed it to Hagel from Rummsfeld because the quote seems to be about other members of Obama's national-security team. The principle still applies.

posted by DrewM. at 12:27 PM

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