Those are the words the President's National Security Advisor, Susan Rice, used to characterize Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. It was politically necessary for Ms. Rice to praise Bergdahl in order to defend her boss from criticism that he had swapped five high value Taliban commanders for one traitor.
Today, Mr. Honor and Distinction was formally charged with desertion in battle and (in effect) cooperating with the enemy.
Confession #1: I previously, and it now turns out wrongly, predicted that the Administration would just let the whole mess disappear into the fog, because it has no heart for prosecuting a "misguided youth."
Confession #2: I also predicted, also wrongly, that if perchance the Administration allowed the Army's investigation to proceed at all, it would be cut short by a preemptive pardon, which I wrote here.
Prediction: In light of my record of fumbling, I could scarcely blame readers for discounting my next prediction, but here it is anyway. There won't be a Bergdahl pardon until roughly 21 months from now, after the 2016 election, and "in the spirit of Christmas." Marc Rich, call your office.
Susan Rice is an appalling human being in the service of another one.
As nauseating as Rice's comments were, what was even more disgusting was the Administration's attempt to defend the swap as emblematic of the "sacred bond" between the Commander-in-Chief and the troops. Enough to make me vomit. As a candidate, Obama criticized the American war effort in Afghanistan as "just" running around and bombing villages. Of course, other than the Israeli military, no other military in human history goes so far to avoid civilian casualties as ours, so Obama was not only subversive, but a liar. Then, the patriot in the WH released Musa Ali Daqduq, a terrorist murderer of American servicemen.
These people are horrible and have no business being in polite company.