Athenae and I rarely post about the same thing on the same day. It's that time again. The whole Bowe Bergdahl incident seems to be the apogee of Obama Derangement Syndrome. The GOP reaction is OTT, incoherent, and sadly predictable. Once again, they're confused as to whether the President is a power mad dictator or a weakling. You really can't have it both ways but making sense has never been high on the neo-cons agenda. Fear mongering is and I wish the stupid mongerfuckers would monger something else…

Here's the deal. It's apparently strong and resolute when Ronald Reagan and Oliver North TRADE ARMS FOR HOSTAGES but when President Obama executes a prisoner swap, it's evil, evil chile. Prisoner exchanges are routine, and Bergdahl is the last American POW in Afghanistan. We don't leave our people behind when we withdraw from a country. You would think that Senator McCain would get that but as Charlie Pierce put it earlier today:

Having already draped himself in a toga, McCain's response to the Obama administration has been both petulant and imperious, a small boy commanding an army of butterflies. This is most recently illustrated in his response to the deal cut by the administration to arrange the release of Bowe Bergdahl from captivity. The conservative chorus of opposition to the deal is a lovely harmonic convergence of complete hypocrisy and profound historical amnesia on the always delightful topic of "negotiating with terrorists." IA's official arms conduit to the Contras, on a shipment of weapons — and the scandal moved off in other directions, including selling missiles to Iran for the purposes of raising money for the Contras.

The thing that I find most irksome is that the whole controversy is over FIVE BEARDED GUYS. That's right, five beardos have been released and Senator Walnuts is making like Chicken Little. I was raised to think that we were the land of the free and the home of the brave, not a country that cowered when 5 guys who were held as enemy combatants are traded for an American serviceman. Does McCain even listen to himself any more? I'd rather listen to our greatest Democratic President who told us that, "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."

Of course, FDR was accused of being simultaneously a dictator and weakling too. Neo-conservative war mongers like John McCain should get a grip and stop trying to scare us to death. The aughties are over and your policies failed ,so STFU and go away already. I know that won't happen, but I am sick and tired of listening to their fear mongering, which is merely a reflection of their own scaredy cattedness. Is that a word? If not, it oughta be.

I'll give the Finn Brothers the last word, since unlike the GOP and perhaps even me in this post, they're only talking sense:

What is it with Neil Finn and tongues? "Seal my fate I get your tongue in the mail." I don't know about you but I've never gotten a tongue in the mail. I have eaten the odd tongue sammich though. A bit too chewy for my taste…

That is, finally, all.