Obama Punts When Asked About Bradley Manning’s Captivity

During today’s press conference, ABC News White House correspondent asked President Obama to comment on the statements made by State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley about the treatment of Pfc. Bradley Manning:

Shorter Obama: I asked the Pentagon if they were doing anything wrong, and they told me they weren’t doing anything wrong.

FILED UNDER: Law and the Courts, Military Affairs, , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Dave says:

    Damn it.

  2. Stan says:

    Disgusting. And gutless.

  3. Ben says:

    Sigh.

    Way to stand up for the idea that the US is a shining beacon of civil liberties, ethical treatment of prisoners, and innocent until proven guilty, Barry.

  4. anjin-san says:

    Very disappointing. Certainly not Obama’s finest hour.

  5. michael reynolds says:

    You guys know that Manning’s own father has denied his son is being mistreated?

    I was rather surprised, to put it mildly. But the elder Manning — a retired sailor, I believe — denied repeatedly that his son was being victimized. I’d supply a link but it was an interview I heard on NPR while in the car. If I recall correctly it was an excerpt of a documentary.

    It was a weird interview. The interviewer sounded incredulous, and the father’s tone was strange. But I put it out there for what it’s worth.