Posted on 06/10/2014 2:01:43 PM PDT by ghost of stonewall jackson
The buck stops with the president. Or maybe it's the secretary of Defense.
As the fallout grows over the controversial Taliban prisoner swap, White House officials are emphasizing that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was the one who "signed off" on the deal -- a move one Republican lawmaker suggested is an effort to shift blame.
"I hope they're not just pushing him out to be a fall guy for this," Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., told Fox News.
According to a congressional source, Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken refused to answer directly when asked point-blank during a briefing with House lawmakers Monday evening who made the call.
McKeon noted the White House is stressing Hagel's role, though, following intense controversy over the trade of five Taliban members held at Guantanamo Bay for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. He noted that he "didn't see Secretary Hagel" on TV when President Obama first announced the release alongside Bergdahl's parents in the Rose Garden.
Defense officials say that Hagel's comments on NBC's "Meet the Press" immediately following the release speak for themselves.
"I signed off on the decision," Hagel said in that interview. "The president made the ultimate decision."
Asked Tuesday to clarify who made the final call, White House spokesman Josh Earnest gave a multipronged response.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
"The President said, "I absolutely make no apologies swapping five Guantanamo Bay detainees for the Taliban-held American soldier Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. As Commander-in-Chief I am responsible for those kids."
Guess it depends on the definition of 'I' ??
Added to excuss list. Bambi is the Commander in Chief. It’s not like POS Chuckie had any option to veto the trade.
Wasn’t it Zer0 that signed some kind of decree bypassing Congress?
Those damn dims, can’t own up to their mistakes.
Hillary blaming her underlings for Benghazi. Never showed her the lack of security.
Zer0 blaming Hagel.
By next week they’ll figure a way to work Bush into the equation.
What a crew!!
Well, certainly Hagel should be impeached and prosecuted, along with Obama and also Harry Reid, who knew about the release and did not tell anyone, which also makes him a conspirator in this felony.
Or, as a former WH occupant would say, “It depends on what the meaning of “I” is...”
Face palm.
Didn’t you hear? Obama read about it in Mad magazine!
I'm trying to weigh this against Nixon...not even comparable
Barry found out about it in the morning newspaper.
“Obama only found out when he saw himself and the Bergdahls in the Rose Garden on the NEWS”
From the way they walked in and out, I was wondering if Obama and Mrs. Bergdahl were heading for the Lincoln Bedroom!
' What ?.. me worry ? '
My prints aren't on it ! (I was wearing teflon gloves)
There is nothing that indicated I had any prior knowledge (Ignore the Rose Garden Presser).
I'll do anything to get the Veterans Administration homicides off the front pages .
In short, like everyone in the Obama regime, he lied like a rug.
This sort of reminds me of the cowboy and the liberal sitting in a bar and the 11:00 P.M. news came on the TV....with a jumper out on a ledge of a high rise. The cowboy says, “Betcha 20 bucks he jumps.” The liberal takes the bet, and a few seconds later the guy jumps. When the liberal tries to give the cowboy the 20 bucks, he refuses it and says he saw the guy jump on the 6:00 o’clock news. To which the liberal replies, “I did too, but I didn’t think he’d do it again!”
Chuck Hagel and Diane Feinstein are frozen on the court, both balking at `taking one for the team’.
Coach Jarrett rises from the bench and yells from the sidelines, “Up Chuck and Di!”
Listen maggots!
Either 0h0mullah is the CIC or he’s not. They can’t have it both ways.
I KNOW he isn’t. The real CIC IS ValJar and her god is Soros!
This is plausible, Hagel is stupid enough, he admits he signed off on it. Of course 0 had to approve.
We all know Bush called Gitmo and got them realeased!
Again, this is the White House soap opera, “Days of our Liars”.
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