The Taliban’s release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl dominated the Sunday talk shows, pushing Friday’s resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki from the headlines.

Exactly as intended, the story of the return of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has dominated news coverage, maing the VA scandal yesterday’s news. It’s the “look, squirrel!” theory of news management, and it works every time. Welcome to short attention span democracy. The Hill reports:

There are many important issues to discuss with regard to Bergdahl’s release, and we won’t shy away from them. But we won’t forget our veterans, a group which Bergdahl, by the way, will soon be joining, in all likelihood.

The Sunday shows were packed with Republicans launching into political attacks against President Obama and the administration for transferring five Taliban members from Guantanamo Bay to Qatar in exchange for the release of Bergdahl, the 28-year-old whom the Taliban released on Saturday, and administration officials defending the decision.

Exactly as intended, the story of the return of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has dominated news coverage, maing the VA scandal yesterday’s news. It’s the “look, squirrel!” theory of news management, and it works every time. Welcome to short attention span democracy. The Hill reports:

The Taliban’s release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl dominated the Sunday talk shows, pushing Friday’s resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki from the headlines. The Sunday shows were packed with Republicans launching into political attacks against President Obama and the administration for transferring five Taliban members from Guantanamo Bay to Qatar in exchange for the release of Bergdahl, the 28-year-old whom the Taliban released on Saturday, and administration officials defending the decision.

There are many important issues to discuss with regard to Bergdahl’s release, and we won’t shy away from them. But we won’t forget our veterans, a group which Bergdahl, by the way, will soon be joining, in all likelihood.



