memeorandum: Obama Defends Swap of Taliban for American P.O.W. (Peter Baker/New York Times)

6:55 PM ET, June 3, 2014

Top Items:

Bowe Bergdahl's Vanishing Before Capture Angered His Unit — WASHINGTON — Sometime after midnight on June 30, 2009, Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl left behind a note in his tent saying he had become disillusioned with the Army, did not support the American mission in Afghanistan and was leaving to start a new life.

Fred Kaplan / Slate:

What People Don't Understand About the Bergdahl Deal — America negotiates with terrorists. These were not terrorists. And this could be the start of something big. — The news channels are blaring two misconceptions about the recovery of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Mediaite, The Dish, Real Clear Politics, Hot Air and ABC News

Abby Phillip / Washington Post:

The curious case of Bob Bergdahl's apparent tweet to the Taliban — Since Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was captured in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2009, his father had become an expert on Guantanamo Bay's detainees. It was out of necessity, because the Taliban demanded that the United States free prisoners …

Discussion: Power Line, PoliticusUSA, The Agonist, Daily Mail, Mediaite, Betsy's Page, The Daily Caller, Gawker, NPR, ABC News, Balloon Juice, Weekly Standard and The Daily Beast

Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:

Republican Strategist Helped Organize Bergdahl Critics — Former Bush administration and Romney campaign official Richard Grenell helped connect the media and soldiers who served with Bergdahl. — Bowe Bergdahl — The Associated Press — WASHINGTON — A former Bush administration official …

Discussion: Washington Post, PoliticusUSA, Hot Air, Hullabaloo, Daily Kos, The PJ Tatler and Mediaite

The Lead with Jake Tapper:

Bergdahl's team leader: Intercepted radio chatter said he sought talks with the Taliban — (CNN) - Former Army Sgt. Evan Buetow was the team leader with Bowe Bergdahl the night Bergdahl disappeared. — “Bergdahl is a deserter, and he's not a hero,” says Buetow. “He needs to answer for what he did.”

Discussion: Business Insider, Washington Free Beacon, The PJ Tatler, CNN and TPNN

Todd C. Frankel / Washington Post:

For father of released POW, growing a beard and studying captors defined the years — Robert Bergdahl's bushy blond beard was hard to ignore. The fists of facial hair gave a cleric's appearance to the former UPS driver from Idaho as he and his wife, Jani, joined President Obama at the White House …

Discussion: Power Line, The Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, BuzzFeed, Guns.com, Mediaite, The Huffington Post, NPR, Right Wing Watch and CNN

General Martin E. Dempsey / Facebook:

In response to those of you interested in my personal judgments about the recovery of SGT Bowe Bergdahl, the questions about this particular soldier's conduct are separate from our effort to recover ANY U.S. service member in enemy captivity. This was likely the last, best opportunity to free him.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Hill, National Review, The PJ Tatler, The Moderate Voice, The Daily Caller, Outside the Beltway and Fox News Insider

Fox News:
Wartime messages to parents, fellow soldiers reveal troubled Bergdahl

Discussion: Washington Times, Daily Mail, protein wisdom, Mediaite, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Fox News Insider and The Week

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Prisoner swap: Did Hillary know?

Discussion: Politico, BREITBART.COM, RealClearPolitics Video Log, Daily Kos, Hinterland Gazette, Wall Street Journal, Hot Air, CNN and Questions and Observations

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo: Fox Host: Bergdahl's Dad Looks ‘Like A Member Of The Taliban’ (VIDEO)

Guy Taylor / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: Pentagon knew Bergdahl's whereabouts but didn't risk rescue for ‘deserter’

Discussion: Liberaland, Hot Air and Independent Journal Review

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:
GOP Strategists Arranged Interviews With Angry Members Of Bergdahl's Platoon

Discussion: TPNN, The Daily Banter, Joe For America, The Mahablog, The Federalist, The Week and The Daily Beast

Philip Ewing / Politico:
Dempsey: Won't ignore misconduct

Discussion: Fox News Insider, The Daily Caller, RT, The Gateway Pundit and ThinkProgress

Massimo Calabresi / TIME:

White House Overrode Internal Objections To Taliban Prisoner Release — Pentagon, Intelligence officials used Top Secret intelligence to prevent previous release of Taliban Five, officials tell TIME. — To pull off the prisoner swap of five Taliban leaders for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl …

Discussion: protein wisdom, Hot Air, The PJ Tatler and Ed Driscoll

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

WH apologizes to Senate intel chief for prisoner swap secret — The White House has apologized to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for failing to alert her in advance of a decision to release Taliban commanders from Guantanamo Bay.

Discussion: Business Insider and National Review

Tom Kludt / Talking Points Memo:

Conservatives Go From Zero To Impeachment In Record Time On Bergdahl — It was really only a matter of time before conservatives began invoking the “I-word” over President Obama's decision to release five Taliban detainees from the detention center at Guantanamo Bay in exchange for the only American prisoner of war in Afghanistan.

Discussion: Daily Mail, PoliticusUSA, The Raw Story and Daily Oklahoman

Allen West / Allen B. West:

The case for impeachment of Barack Hussein Obama — This morning on WMALs “Morning on the Mall” radio show with hosts Brian and Larry I was asked a simple question relating to the Taliban prisoner release and impeachment of the president. I responded yes that in this current case …

Discussion: TPNN and Washington Post

Eli Lake / The Daily Beast:
How Obama Convinced His Spies to Support the Taliban Prisoner Release

Discussion: New York Times, Politico, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, The Dish, Just Security, Washington Post, TPNN, National Review, Taylor Marsh, The Hill, Fox News and Washington Free Beacon

Peter Baker / New York Times: Obama Defends Swap of Taliban for American P.O.W.

Elahe Izadi / NationalJournal.com:
Dianne Feinstein Disappointed Lawmakers Not Given 30-Day Notice on Bergdahl Swap

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Talking Points Memo, Politico, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite and The PJ Tatler

Politico:
5 questions for the White House on Bowe Bergdahl

Discussion: Daily Kos

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

Republicans have a mandate for their Benghazi probe — Democrats in recent weeks weighed whether to abstain from involvement in House Republicans' new Benghazi investigative committee, labeling it an unnecessary probe into questions that have already been answered. — The American people disagree.

Discussion: Hot Air and National Review

Washington Post:

June 2014 Washington Post-ABC News poll — Obama, Afghanistan withdrawal, VA and Benghazi Post-ABC poll: EPA rules on greenhouse gases Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president? Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling The economy?

Discussion: CNN, Business Insider, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, Politico, Firedoglake and YG Network

Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly:
Mandate By Poll — In reporting on a finding in the latest …

Discussion: Hot Air and Booman Tribune

Terrence McCoy / Washington Post:

Bodies of 800 babies, long-dead, found in septic tank at former Irish home for unwed mothers — In a town in western Ireland, where castle ruins pepper green landscapes, there's a six-foot stone wall that once surrounded a place called the Home. Between 1925 and 1961, thousands of …

Discussion: Jezebel, Vermont Public Radio, The Dish, Gawker, IrishCentral.com and Hullabaloo

IrishCentral.com: Galway historian reveals truth behind 800 orphans in mass grave (IrishCentral)

www.wftv.com:

Brevard judge tells attorney, 'I'll beat your ass,' allegedly throws punches — BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Court deputies had to break up a physical fight between a Brevard County judge and a public defender after an argument during a hearing on Monday. — Judge John Murphy is accused …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Daily Banter, Gawker, The Raw Story, The Week, Mediaite, MyFOX8.com and The Daily Caller

Ellen Gabler / JSOnline:

Charges detail Waukesha pre-teens' attempt to kill classmate — By Ellen Gabler of the Journal Sentinel — The 12-year-old girls had been plotting the murder for months, police say. — Morgan E. Geyser was allowed to have two friends over each year for her birthday. This year, she'd celebrate on May 30.

Discussion: The Awl, Techdirt, RT, Mashable, The Verge, The Daily Caller, Althouse, Washington Post, abc7chicago.com, Jezebel, Mediaite, NBC News and The Raw Story

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:

The perils of progressivism run deeper than Obama. — “For a president who came to office hoping to restore public faith in government as a force for good in society, the mess at the Department of Veterans Affairs threatens to undercut his reputation for effectiveness,” writes New York Times reporter Peter Baker in a “news analysis.”

Discussion: Politico and Instapundit

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Book: Obama told donors he might be in ‘strong position’ to amend Constitution — President Obama told Democratic donors he might be “in a very strong position” to demand a Constitutional amendment on campaign finance reform during his second term, according to a new book.

Discussion: Politico and Taegan Goddard's …