Mark Steyn is a very keen observer

A long, long time ago a goofy Army soldier deserted his outfit in Afghanistan and went over to the Taliban side.  The Army--not knowing if the guy had been quietly captured--went to huge lengths to try to find him, and half a dozen American soldiers were killed by enemy fire in those efforts.

Team Obama also paid a million bucks of taxpayer funds to an Afghan intermediary who said he could arrange the guy's release for that amount.  The intermediary and the cash vanished, but the deserter wasn't released.

Finally Obama agreed to trade five key taliban detainees held at Guantanamo for the deserter.  Whereupon Bowe Bergdahl was released.  Once back in the U.S, Obama invited him and his parents to a reception / celebration at the White House.

Whereupon political writer and humorist Mark Steyn observed,

"If there were a real press in this country someone would ask Obama how it is that he became the first president to host a Rose Garden celebration for a deserter."

Half a dozen U.S. troops killed, a million bucks in ransom vanished, five top enemy prisoners released...and a Rose Garden reception.  All for a deserter.  Kinda makes ya wonder.

But it can't possibly be due to stupidity or incompetence by the emperor, since the media constantly tell us how smart he is. 

So what does that leave for an explanation?