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ByDonnaCassata The Associated Press WASHINGTON Republicans and Democrats who initially praised the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl after his five years in captivity quickly scrubbed their welcoming tweets amid questions about whether the Army soldier was a deserter and an outcry over the exchange of five Tal- iban officials for his freedom. On the defensive, Demo- crats hammered GOP law- makers with their own words from just a few weeks ago pleading with the Obama administration to do all it could to return Bergdahl home to his family. The swap stands as a po- litical flashpoint on Capitol Hill that shows no sign of abating, with Defense Sec- retary Chuck Hagel cer- tain to face tough questions Wednesday at a high-profile House Armed Services Com- mittee hearing. Closed-door sessions pitting lawmakers against Obama administra- tion officials also are planned next week. The Bergdahl case offers none of the clarity of a cel- ebratory homecoming for a freed military captive that rallies Americans of all po- litical persuasions. In its place are the murky circum- stances of Bergdahl's June 2009 departure from his out- post and President Barack Obama's move to send five enemy combatants to Qatar after they spent more than a decade in the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prison. The Washington back- drop is highly partisan, with an ongoing investiga- tion into the deadly 2012 at- tack in Benghazi, Libya, mid- term elections in less than five months and Republi- cans certain that a roughed- up Obama is critical to their political success. Caution is clearly the watchword for some politi- cians in advance of prima- ries and elections. Rep. Jim Renacci of Ohio and Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, both Republi- cans, deleted tweets that had expressed joy over Bergda- hl's release, as did Iowa GOP Senate candidate Joni Ernst. Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts did the same, according to the website Politwoops of the Sunlight Foundation, which keepstrackofdeletedtweets. "People in Idaho are glad that he's been released and home. The other factors sur- rounding this matter will come out as time goes on, and we'll leave it at that," said Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch. Republicanshavepounded the administration for ex- changing Bergdahl for the five Taliban commanders, warning that they will re- turn to the fight against the United States, something an intelligence official acknowl- edged is likely to lawmakers thisweek.Democratsquickly accused the GOP of doing an about-face on their pleas for Bergdahl's release and made clear the military's support for the swap will be a major element of their pushback. "You put on the uniform of this country, we're going to do everything to get you," Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, told reporters this week. "Read the Republican statements. Read the resolutions they in- troduced about trying to get Bergdahl back. ... What hap- pened to that? I think even (Sen. John) McCain was on television saying that he was open to the possibility of a swap a couple of months ago." In a February interview with CNN, McCain said he would support a swap of the five Taliban command- ers for Bergdahl contingent on the details. Within hours of word of the exchange this past weekend, McCain crit- icized the deal as a mistake that would put American lives in danger. McCain's office insisted that there was no contradic- tion and faulted the White House, saying that as it struggled to defend the deal, it was discrediting its critics. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., high- lighted several other in- stances of Republicans pressing for Bergdahl's re- lease, and complained that they were now trying to score political points. In April, Pennsylvania's two senators — Republican Pat Toomey and Democrat Bob Casey — joined with Republican leader Mitch Mc- Connell of Kentucky in intro- ducing a resolution saying "the United States should leave no member of the Armed Forces unaccounted for during the drawdown of forces in Afghanistan." The measure also "sup- ports the United States Sol- dier's Creed and the War- rior Ethos, which state that 'I will never leave a fallen comrade.'" Sen. Richard Burr, R- N.C., also has backed the resolution. Last month, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., added a pro- vision to the Armed Services Committee's defense policy bill pressuring Pakistan to fully cooperate in the search for Bergdahl. CAPTURED SOLDIER Bergdahl swap a flashpoint of rival charges BRIANSKOLOFF—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Flags and balloons mark the release from captivity of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl adorn the sidewalk outside a shop in the soldier's hometown of Hailey, Idaho, last Wednesday. By Juan A. Lozano The Associated Press SAN ANTONIO Acting Vet- erans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson warned VA ad- ministrators on Friday that intimidation or retaliation against anyone who calls at- tention to problems within the veterans' health system will not be tolerated. Federal investigators are examining allegations that VA supervisors retaliated against 37 employees who filed "whistleblower" com- plaints. It included some who complained about improper scheduling practices at the heart of a growing scandal within the VA system. At a news conference Fri- day after a visit to a San Antonio VA facility, Gibson said the department will fol- low laws that forbid whistle- blower retaliation. He said employees of any organization need to feel they can speak out and Gib- son warned against any- thing that would create a climate that would stifle that source. "I think that is wrong. It is absolutely unac- ceptable." Gibson said. "There have been ques- tions raised about intimi- dation or even retaliation. There is a law that forbids that, and we'll follow the law," Gibson said. He also expressed con- fidence that investigators will be able to ferret out the truth, regardless of any at- tempts to squelch potential whistleblowers. "We have a pretty savvy IG (Inspector General). They are going to gather informa- tion from the bottom up," he said. "These guys didn't just fall off the turnip truck. These are professionals at their trade," he added. The scandal has centered on long patient waits for care and falsified records cover- ing up delays at VA hospitals and clinics nationwide. After a visit to a Phoe- nix VA facility on Thursday, Gibson said an additional 18 veterans whose names were kept off an official elec- tronic VA appointment list have died and that he would ask the inspector general to see if there is any indication those deaths were related to long wait times. If so, they would reach out to those vet- erans' families. The 18 veterans who died were among 1,700 veter- ans identified in a report last week by the VA's in- spector general as being "at risk of being lost or forgot- ten." The investigation also found broad and deep-seated problems with delays in pa- tient care and manipulation of waiting lists throughout the sprawling VA health care system, which provides med- ical care to about 9 million veterans and family mem- bers. Gibson said he does not know whether the 18 new deaths were related to wait times but said they were in addition to the 17 reported last month. Also Thursday, senior senators reached agree- ment on the framework for a bipartisan bill making it easier for veterans to get health care outside VA hos- pitals and clinics. ThebillannouncedThurs- day by Senate Veterans Af- fairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would allow veterans who wait 30 days or more for VA appointments or who live at least 40 miles from a VA hos- pital or clinic to use private doctors enrolled as provid- ers for Medicare, military TRICARE or other govern- ment health care programs. It also would let the VA immediately fire as many as 450 senior regional exec- utives and hospital admin- istrators for poor perfor- mance. The bill resembles a mea- sure passed last month by the House but includes a 28- day appeal process omitted by the House legislation. VETERANS Acting chief says VA won't tolerate intimidation 12149 Highway 99 W, Red Bluff www.southmainstorage.com NEW MOVE-IN SPECIALS! 888-820-7250 SOUTH MAIN MINI STORAGE • Low Price Guarantee! • No Deposit or Admin Fees! • Drive-up Units. • Individually alarmed. • 24-hour video survelliance. TOLL FREE Reserveour BANQUET ROOM LosMarachis 529-5154 SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 2014 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 7 A