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Senate Blocks Funds Needed To Shut Down Guantanamo...For Now
In a widely expected move, the Senate has voted overwhelmingly to block the $80 million President Obama requested to shut down the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The roll call here. The margin was 90-6.
Yesterday, Senate Democratic leaders announced that they wouldn't hand over the money needed to close the facility until Obama releases a comprehensive plan detailing what the administration will do with remaining detainees. We'll have more on the breakdown between Congress and the White House later today.
Tomorrow, Obama will deliver a major national security address in which he is expected to address Guantanamo and a number of other controversial issues.
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Good news!!!!!
The Democrats have discovered they have a backbone, and have FINALLY stood up to the President!!!
And with typical Democratic ineptitude, it just happens to be a Democratic President. Whoo-hoo! Way to lay the foundation of the "Democrats can't govern" theme!!! And helping out the Republicans, to boot.
May 20, 2009 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
The problem is, we've got a majority leader who is now basically parroting the lies of right-wing talk radio:
Reid: "I think there's a general feeling... that the American people, and certainly the Senate, overwhelmingly doesn't want terrorists to be released in the United States. And I think we're going to stick with that...."
Q. "No one's talking about releasing them. We're talking about putting them in prison somewhere in the United States."
Reid: "Can't put them in prison unless you release them."
Q. "Sir, are you going to clarify that a little bit? I mean -- "
Reid: "I can't -- I can't -- I can't make it any more clear than the statement I have given to you. We will never allow terrorists to be released in the United States. I think the majority -- I speak for the majority of the Senate...."
With a majority leader parroting irrational Republican talking points, you could have 90 Democrats in the Senate and Reid would still find a way to cave.
May 20, 2009 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
90-6?
I thought the Dems were making gains with their National Security cred since Obama took office?
This vote shows they are still scared shitless about being branded weak on defense...
May 20, 2009 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Still scared" is an excellent description for Democrats. Doesn't matter what the particular issue is.
May 20, 2009 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
CT,
this is the same Democratic Senate that couldn't pass a bill restricting Credit Card interest to 15%.
May 20, 2009 2:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Six people of courage. The rest of them spineless!
May 20, 2009 1:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, let's thank Durbin, Harkin, Leahy, Levin, Whitehouse and Reed (that would be Jack).
May 20, 2009 1:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep...
Durbin (D-IL)
Harkin (D-IA)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Reed (D-RI)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Harry Reid is really pissing me off.
May 20, 2009 1:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know, and I thought a strong Democratic President with huge approval ratings could give cover to Congres to get things done.
Silly me!
May 20, 2009 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
It makes good sense to demand an exit strategy for Gitmo.
May 20, 2009 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sometimes a deadline is needed to make things happen. Given the chance, these bastards will drag their feet forever!
May 20, 2009 1:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, what is their problem with it exactly?
Seems to me that they are afraid of having these detainees held in the US because US laws would apply to them... and well... they've been tortured.
That seems to be the real issue here. NOT that we can't have them in our state. I think that a total BS decoy. They've got nutjobs in their prisons all over the country.
No, I am guessing that this is all about torture and accountability and fear of ramifications.
Still, I am shocked that so many democrats voted with the republicans on this... I wonder if was a trade off for the credit card bill that was not supposed to pass the senate? I know that the republicans in the senate have been using holds on nominees and other such maneuvers to fight against hearings, memos and reports being released etc.
May 20, 2009 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
You could be right on that Sync. But regardless this really pisses me off to see this. Hopefully whatever Obama says tommorrow about Gitmo will change their minds. Yep this is very weak on their behalves.
May 20, 2009 1:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was actually hoping this was a tradeoff on the Dawn Johnsen nomination.
Stupid of me, I know.
May 20, 2009 2:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is beyond stupid. US prisons already hold a lot of REALLY scary people who would eat these "terrorists" for lunch.
May 20, 2009 1:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's what i've been saying. There saying they don't want terrorists on U.S. soil. Guess what: WE ALREADY HAVE. Remember Zacaraias Mousoui, one of the guys involved in 9/11. Right now he's in a Supermax prison, where he'll spend the rest of their lives.
Spineless, just simply spineless.
May 20, 2009 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
There are a lot scarier guys in prisons than that. The Crips and Latin Kings would have these guys for appetizers.
May 20, 2009 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oooh, but Robert Mueller was just on my radio, explaining that terrorists in prisons would direct terrorism efforts just like gang leaders in prison direct gang efforts!
I wonder if he realized how revealingly negative this comment is about, um, law enforcement, coming from the director of, um, a big important law enforcement agency.
May 20, 2009 2:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes. They know Dawn Johnsen is straight up and won't play 'nice' with them. They are going to fight her all the way. It has nothing to do with 'abortion' as some idiots suggest.
Seriously from now on whatever our attention is being pointed toward we need to take a look around and see what they might want to be distracting us from.
May 20, 2009 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mitch McConnell said "BOO!" and Harry Reid shit his pants again.
May 20, 2009 2:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think they're trying to put the Genie back in the bottle. It's not the guilty ones... it's the innocent ones that are victims of US rendition and torture at the hands of the CIA. If you bring them to the states, they're fates and identities will come into focus.
This ends at the Hague
May 20, 2009 2:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think they're trying to put the Genie back in the bottle. It's not the guilty ones... it's the innocent ones that are victims of US rendition and torture at the hands of the CIA. If you bring them to the states, they're fates and identities will come into focus.
This ends at the Hague
May 20, 2009 2:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Torture is not the way to facilitate cooperation with other countries. The U.S. should focus more on soft power and increase the strategic foreign aid.
The Borgen Project has good info on the estimated cost of ending global poverty:
$30 billion: Annual shortfall to end world hunger.
$550 billion: U.S. Defense budget.
May 20, 2009 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Charles Manson is imprisoned inside the United States.
May 20, 2009 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice to know the Government can run such a great health care program. These quotes need to be thrown back in their faces every time they try to block single payer.
May 20, 2009 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry I guess I got this post confused with another one...
May 20, 2009 2:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why not put them in with these guys?
http://www.bofunk.com/video/4193/violent_inmates.html
May 20, 2009 3:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
To be fair, it isn't just the fear of terrorists being incarcerated in their backyard that scares some people. It's the fear that people on US soil may be given civil rights. And if they are given trials there is the possibility that they are found not guilty or are given less than a life sentence.
May 21, 2009 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink