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Monday, June 2, 2014

Barack Obama hides behind signing statements to justify #Bergdahl / Taliban swap. | RedState

Barack Obama hides behind signing statements to justify #Bergdahl / Taliban swap. | RedState



So, it turns out that the Obama administration was legally required to at least notify Congress before it actually traded Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five Taliban terrorist commanders*:
Lawmakers were not notified of the Guantanamo detainees’ transfer until after it occurred.
The law requires the defense secretary to notify relevant congressional committees at least 30 days before making any transfers of prisoners, to explain the reason and to provide assurances that those released would not be in a position to reengage in activities that could threaten the United States or its interests.
And remember all that nonsense that the Democrats used to spout off about how awful signing statements were?  Yeah, you already knew that it was nonsense: but watch, and marvel, as the Left continues to studiously ignore their past rhetoric on the subject.  Because that all was apparently just pillow talk, baby:
A senior administration official, agreeing to speak on the condition of anonymity to explain the timing of the congressional notification, acknowledged that the law was not followed. When he signed the law last year, Obama issued a signing statement contending that the notification requirement was an unconstitutional infringement on his powers as commander in chief and that he therefore could override it.
Whether or not you agree with Barack Obama or not on signing statements, there’s something peculiarly amusing in the way that he keeps casually forcing his strongest supporters to do the political equivalent of eat dog feces in public and then declare it to be the finest pate. I mean, not just the signing statements: this guy campaigned on closing Gitmo. Which Barack Obama stillhasn’t done.
I know, I know: the Activist Left collectively has no shame, or self-regard.  But it still burns them when we laugh and mock.  So there you go.
Moe Lane (crosspost)
*It is my professional opinion that the Seventy-Two Hour Rule be put into effect before making any preliminary judgments on the story, history, or habits of Sgt. Bergdahl.  If the current rumors are true, they will be verified in that time period; if false, they will typically collapse under their own weight in the same said time period.  Either way, holding back and double-checking will do no harm.

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