Was there ever any doubt that Fox News would jump at the chance to talk impeachment over the Taliban prisoner swap for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl? After all, Fox has been promoting impeachment over Sestak-gate, Fast and Furious, Campaign-ad-gate, General Petraeus’ sex scandal, ObamaCare and, of course, Benghazi. So, to paraphrase St. Ronald Reagan, there they go again.
Last night, Megyn Kelly hosted Judge Andrew Napolitano whose sole purpose for appearing on The Kelly File seemed to be to promote the idea that President Obama aided and abetted terrorists with the Bergdahl swap and, by implication, should be impeached. Kelly pushed back nicely, although her show has many times served as a prime-time impeachment promoter - and even as an impeachment advocate.
This morning, Napolitano promoted impeachment much more explicitly on Fox & Friends – with a more enthusiastic reception. In the second video below, Napolitano had the following exchange with co-host Steve Doocy.
NAPOLITANO: (T)he president may very well have committed a federal crime by giving material assistance to a terrorist organization. He knows – ought to have known – that that’s what these guys (the released Taliban prisoners) will do.
STEVE DOOCY: Andy McCarthy, a friend of this program has got a new book out.
NAPOLITANO: He says the president should be impeached for this.
DOOCY: That’s what he does say. He says it’s crimes and misdemeanors.
NAPOLITANO: In my view, it’s a very, very valid argument that people are going to start talking about. Look, the last time a president was impeached, it was a disaster and it was arguably over nonsense. This is far, far more serious.
It’s worth noting that Andrew McCarthy is one of the impeachment promoters who has received a friendly platform on The Kelly File. Tonight, the Hannity show will “ask” if President Obama “broke the law with the prisoner swap.”
Anybody have a doubt what the answer will be?
Videos below via Media Matters, which notes that Fox News contributor Allen West has also called for impeachment on his website.
Btw, make sure and read to the bottom – there’s some
“The following is an overview of detainees released from Gitmo who subsequently returned to the battlefield and engaged in terrorist activities… prior to January 20, 2009.”
–According to a study by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in 2012, 532 Guantanamo detainees were released prior to Inauguration Day, 2009.
–A total of 92 of those former detainees became “returnees,” that is: they returned to the battlefield to fight Americans. Using the GOP leadership’s metaphor, that’s 92 “Willie Hortons” under President Bush.
–An additional 70 former detainees are suspected of returning to the battlefield, but weren’t, as of the time of the report, confirmed as returnees.
–The total Guantanamo recidivism rate under the Bush administration was 30.5 percent. In other words, one third of all terrorist detainees released from Guantanamo re-engaged in terrorism, chiefly in Afghanistan and Iraq.
–Comparatively, as of 2011, only 67 Guantanamo detainees had been released under President Obama. Only three have been confirmed as having returned to the battlefield, along with two suspected returnees for a recidivism rate of 7.5 percent.
UPDATE: One of the former Gitmo detainees released under Bush is suspected in the, wait for it, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
All of the above is from Bob Cesca’s column today.
http://thedailybanter.com/2014/06/gop-bergdahl-deal-obamas-willie-horton-moment-even-though-bush-released-detainees/
