Patsies

As usual, a pre-made narrative awaited launch—

REPUBLICANS THREATENED TO RUN A WILLIE HORTON-STYLE CAMPAIGN IF OBAMA FREED BERGDAHL IN 2012

In 2012, Rolling Stone ran Michael Hastings'portrait of Bergdahl and his platoon. Hastings remarked about Bergdahl's continued captivity that–

In a sense, Bowe represents a threat to anyone who wants to see the war continue – be they Taliban militants or Pentagon generals. Once the last American POW is released, there will be few obstacles standing in the way of a negotiated settlement. "It's the hard-liners on both sides who want to keep this thing going," says a White House official. "The Taliban is struggling with its own hard-liners. They need space, and this confidence-building measure could give them space."

I hadn't followed read Hastings' piece then, or followed the story for that matter, until recent days. But immediately after Bergdahl's release came the tell in this kind of thing catapulted into instant media uproar.

For years, Obama was a traitor for not bringing the guy home; now he's a traitor for bringing the guy home.

Main sources for accusations against Bergdahl: soldiers enlisted by GOP operatives.

And Obama is to be scolded that "Americans don't negotiate with terrorists" by Oliver North.

The beard style wingnuts adored not so very long ago now makes the father suspect.

As usual: all grist for the mill, 180s being turned, and so on.

Most serious would be the charge that several soldiers died during the search for Bergdahl. Yet if concern for dead soldiers were real, it wouldn't be hard to come up some celebrated names responsible for very much higher death counts during the wars they—not the likes of a Bergdahl—chose to start.

After all his years in captivity, it's not as if Bergdahl had made it home (or even out of medical care) when the character assassination began. He's been unable to defend himself; unsurprisingly, a flag-waving media pack has been only too pleased to spread the smears.

And the "worst of the worst" terrifying terrorists who've been released... appear to have been a mix of working for "our" side—or trying to switch sides—when they were locked away, never to be tried.

So much for the family and hometown celebrating Bergdahl's release. The guy will have to go into hiding if he does make it back to private life.

The media's pack behavior is in no way surprising. Though it is (if this were needed) a depressing demonstration of the ever-accelerating speed with which a powerful agenda can insert character assassination by questionable sources into "the national dialog."