TPMDC Guantanamo Bay: May 2009
Barack Obama
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 26, 2009, 9:01AM
Obama To Nominate Sotomayor For SCOTUS
President Obama will announce at 10:15 a.m. ET this morning that he is nominating Judge Sonia Sotomayor of New York for the Supreme Court. Sotomayor, age 54, has been one of the top names mentioned in the media since the news first broke of Justice David Souter's retirement. She would be the first Hispanic Justice, and the third woman to serve on the court.
Obama's Day Ahead: Raising Money For Harry Reid
President Obama will be having his regular meetings with advisers today in the Oval Office. At 10:15 a.m. ET he will announce the Sotomayor nomination for the Supreme Court. Then in the afternoon he will depart from the White House for Las Vegas, Nevada. He will arrive in Las Vegas at 8:50 p.m. ET, and at 10:55 p.m. ET he will attend a fundraiser for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, at Caesar's Palace.
Topics: Barack Obama, Guantanamo Bay, Harry Reid, Joe Biden, NV-SEN, Senate '10, Sonia Sotomayor, Stimulus, Supreme Court
Ben Nelson
Ben Nelson: Now More Conservative Than Ever
Brian Beutler | May 25, 2009, 1:37PM
If you read this site fairly regularly, you might be thinking that President Obama is having some issues with the Senate. And you'd be correct. Here's an abbreviated list of hurdles: Dawn Johnsen can't be confirmed to head the Office of Legal Counsel; health care reform may have to do without a public option--if it happens at all; and Obama's goal of shuttering the Guantanamo Bay detention center by early 2010 is suddenly imperiled by the common cousins of conservative demagoguery and Democratic sheepishness.
The examples are manifold. And the voices of opposition are united.
"No way I can vote for her," says a senator of Dawn Johnsen.
Seeking to protect health insurance companies, which would be hard pressed to compete with a government provider, one senator called the idea of a publicly run insurance option a "deal breaker."
And on Guantanamo, the voice of the opposition in the Senate can be summed up thusly: "I think they need to be kept elsewhere, wherever that is. I don't want to see them come on American soil."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (53) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (6)Topics: Ben Nelson, Dawn Johnsen, Democrats, Filibuster, Guantanamo Bay, Health Care
Russ Feingold
Feingold To Obama: Preventive Detention Is Unconstitutional
Brian Beutler | May 25, 2009, 10:51AM
But Feingold was either holding fire, or the words he'd just heard hadn't settled in immediately. Because by the end of the week, a reservation had emerged. In a gentle, but resolute, letter to Obama dated Friday, May 22, Feingold says a key aspect of Obama's outlined detention policy is likely unconstitutional.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (76) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (6)Topics: Barack Obama, Civil Liberties, Guantanamo Bay, National Security, Russ Feingold, Senate Judiciary Committee
Guantanamo Bay
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 24, 2009, 12:53PM
Mullen: Gitmo Needs To Be Closed
Appearing on ABC's This Week, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen reaffirmed his belief that the prison at Guantanamo Bay should be closed. "The concern I've had about Guantanamo in these wars is it has been a symbol, and one which has been a recruiting symbol for those extremists and jihadists who would fight us. So and I think that centers -- you know, that's the heart of the concern for Guantanamo's continued existence, in which I spoke to a few years ago, the need to close it."
Obama's Day: Camp David
President Obama has been spending the weekend at Camp David, and is scheduled to arrive back at the White House tonight at 10 p.m. ET. He does not have any public events scheduled. Vice President Biden is in Wilmington, Delaware, and also does not have any scheduled public events.
Topics: Arlen Specter, Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Guantanamo Bay, Newt Gingrich, PA-SEN, Pat Toomey, Robert Gates, Senate '10, Supreme Court, Tom Ridge
Guantanamo Bay
Some Americans Do Want Terrorists In Their Communities
Brian Beutler | May 22, 2009, 12:58PM
On Wednesday, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to deny President Obama the funds he needs to shutter the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The stall may be temporary, but many are convinced that it's yet another example of the tired political dynamic in post-9/11 Washington whereby Democrats cave to cowing Republicans the moment the conversation turns to terrorism.
Two weeks ago, though, the GOP got a little bit ahead of itself. "Do you know of any community in the United States of America that would welcome terrorists -- former terrorists, would-be terrorists, people trained as terrorists -- that have been incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay into any community in this country?" asked Sen. Richard Shelby (R-KY).
The question was directed at Attorney General Eric Holder, who basically punted. But it turns out there are at least a few communities in the country that might just welcome a suspected terrorist or two to stay for a while.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (13) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Carl Levin, Dianne Feinstein, Guantanamo Bay, Jim Moran, Mary Landrieu
Guantanamo Bay
GOP Invokes "Daisy" In Gitmo Web Video
Eric Kleefeld | May 22, 2009, 10:00AM
The Republican National Committee has put out this new Web ad, borrowing from the Democrats' infamous "Daisy" attack ad against Barry Goldwater in 1964 -- and likening the danger of Guantanamo detainees being brought on to U.S. soil to the 1960s threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union:
Interestingly, this Web ad uses audio of the nuclear explosion from the Daisy ad, but the RNC wasn't daring enough to incorporate the full visual of a mushroom cloud. The ad also uses audio of Lyndon Johnson saying "These are the stakes!" but cuts off the full statement: "These are the stakes! To make a world in which all of God's children can live, or to go into the dark. We must either love each other, or we must die." That kind of aspiration for a world of love isn't exactly a GOP slogan these days.
The message of original Daisy spot, by the way, was that Goldwater would recklessly get us all killed. So it would logically follow that the message of this ad, of course, is that Obama will recklessly get us all killed.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (19) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Guantanamo Bay, RNC
Alan Keyes
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 22, 2009, 9:00AM
WaPo: White House To Steer G.M. Into Bankruptcy
The Washington Post reports that the Obama Administration is preparing to send General Motors into a planned bankruptcy as the end of next week, with the intention to give the company nearly $30 billion more in aid to help them restructure.
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will sign the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act, at 9 a.m. ET in the Rose Garden. At 10 a.m. ET, he will deliver the commencement at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. At 3 p.m. ET, he will return to the Rose Garden to sign the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act.
Topics: Afghanistan, Alan Keyes, Auto Industry, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Joe Biden, John McCain
Barack Obama
Reid: Senate Dems Look Forward To Reviewing Obama's Gitmo Plan When It's Released
Eric Kleefeld | May 21, 2009, 4:21PM
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has released this statement on President Obama's speech today:
"The President today reiterated the belief we both share that closing Guantanamo will make America more secure. I share his concern that we must ensure our national security needs and our Constitutional values continue to coexist, and that the rule of law must supersede politics. Senate Democrats look forward to reviewing the details of the Administration's plan when it is released, and to working with the President to keep Americans safe and bring to justice those who seek to do us harm.PERMALINK | COMMENTS (0) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)"While others may spend all their time defending the mistakes of the past, I am encouraged that our President is focused squarely on the future."
Topics: Barack Obama, Guantanamo Bay, Harry Reid
Barack Obama
Feingold Praises Obama Speech
Brian Beutler | May 21, 2009, 3:31PM
Civil libertarians outside of Congress might have serious reservations about the outline of the President's Guantanamo policy. But on Capitol Hill they're less critical. "I welcome the president's emphasis on congressional oversight and the need for collaboration with Congress, for which the Bush Administration held such contempt," said Sen. Russ Feingold.
The president's remark on reforming the way the state secrets privilege is used also seems to indicate he is moving in the right direction. And I am also pleased that the president echoed the same point I recently made regarding claims by the former vice president: that I had seen nothing to indicate that the torture techniques authorized by the last administration were necessary or the most effective way to get information from detainees.PERMALINK | COMMENTS (9) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (3)The president has taken some important steps in his first four months. He has banned torture, increased transparency, and focused on the crucial threat to our national security emanating from al Qaeda's safe haven in Pakistan. And he has pledged to close Guantanamo, which is being used as a recruiting tool by our enemies. But nobody expected the president would be able to undo the eight year assault on the rule of law by the last administration in just four months. So I look forward to continuing to work with him to restore the rule of law and put in place policies that will keep America safe and reduce the threats to our country that have grown more challenging because of the missteps of the last administration.
Topics: Barack Obama, Civil Liberties, Guantanamo Bay, National Security, Russ Feingold
Barack Obama
ACLU: Obama's Speech Was Dazzling--Too Bad The Policies Suck
Brian Beutler | May 21, 2009, 2:37PM
Without going so far as to compare Obama to George W. Bush, the ACLU thinks the President's deeds are out of step with his words. "We welcome President Obama's stated commitment to the Constitution, the rule of law and the unequivocal rejection of torture," said ACLU executive director Anthony Romero. "But unlike the president, we believe that continuing with the failed military commissions and creating a new system of indefinite detention without charge is inconsistent with the values that he expressed so eloquently at the National Archives today."
That's some pretty thinly veiled criticism. At issue is Obama's announcement of a system of so-called "preventive detention" for suspects who, according to Obama, "cannot be prosecuted yet who pose a clear danger to the American people." They will, apparently, be held for years, subject only to judicial and congressional oversight mechanisms that have yet to be defined. If you want to know how such a system compares to indefinite detention programs other democracies have used, Spencer Ackerman brings the knowledge. The left is not happy about this.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (27) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Barack Obama, Civil Liberties, Guantanamo Bay, National Security
Guantanamo Bay
CCR: Obama Embraces Indefinite Detention, Not Meaningfully Different From Bush
Brian Beutler | May 21, 2009, 12:41PM
President Obama's speech touched on a number of significant and controversial national security policies--but perhaps the two most important were his proposed plan for dealing with Guantanamo detainees and his outline for reforming the State Secrets privilege, which may well become an issue when some of those detainees are tried in U.S. courts.
Civil libertarians and human rights activists won't necessarily be pleased. Shayana Kadidal is the senior managing attorney of the Guantanamo project at the Center for Constitutional Rights. He says the administration's plan to maintain a system of military commissions is deeply troubling.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (22) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Civil Liberties, Guantanamo Bay, National Security, State Secrets
Barack Obama
A Day After Congress Withholds Funds, Obama Defends Decision To Close Guantanamo
Brian Beutler | May 21, 2009, 11:05AM
Yesterday, Congressional Democrats denied President Obama, at least for now, the funds he needs to close down the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They were responding in part to scare tactics from Republicans, who have been insisting for months that Obama's plan will bring terrorists to American cities. But they were also upset that Obama hadn't used his bully pulpit to counter those charges. Today, Obama did just that:
Some have derided our federal courts as incapable of handling the trials of terrorists. They are wrong. Our courts and juries of our citizens are tough enough to convict terrorists, and the record makes that clear. Ramzi Yousef tried to blow up the World Trade Center - he was convicted in our courts, and is serving a life sentence in U.S. prison. Zaccarias Moussaoui has been identified as the 20th 9/11 hijacker - he was convicted in our courts, and he too is serving a life sentence in prison. If we can try those terrorists in our courts and hold them in our prisons, then we can do the same with detainees from Guantanamo.
For more on this point, read this primer written by the National Security Network. And as Ken Gude of the Center for American Progress told me yesterday, Obama can still take near-term steps to begin closing the facility, and then return to Congress for funding in July, when his task force completes its comprehensive report on everything that policy will entail.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (4) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Barack Obama, Civil Liberties, Guantanamo Bay, National Security
Barack Obama
Points Of Friction: Obama Meets With Civil Libertarians, Human Rights Activists
Brian Beutler | May 21, 2009, 10:56AM
Yesterday morning President Obama met with representatives of several human rights and civil liberties groups in the White House's cabinet room. Joining him were his chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, senior adviser David Axelrod, as well as Attorney General Eric Holder. They sat down with representatives of the ACLU, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Human Rights Watch, among others.
Last night on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow reported that one of the attendees warned the President he was letting George Bush's policies become his own--and that Obama was not pleased by that characterization.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Topics: Barack Obama, Civil Liberties, Guantanamo Bay, National Security
Barack Obama
Obama: My Administration Isn't The Bush Administration
Brian Beutler | May 21, 2009, 10:42AM
Barack Obama's speech touches on just about every controversial Constitutional issue in the news, but it's also peppered with reminders that he's not the same as George W. Bush.
As Senator McCain once said, torture "serves as a great propaganda tool for those who recruit people to fight against us." And even under President Bush, there was recognition among members of his Administration - including a Secretary of State, other senior officials, and many in the military and intelligence community - that those who argued for these tactics were on the wrong side of the debate, and the wrong side of history. We must leave these methods where they belong - in the past. They are not who we are. They are not America.
And:
[T]he problem of what to do with Guantanamo detainees was not caused by my decision to close the facility; the problem exists because of the decision to open Guantanamo in the first place.
For just two examples.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (1) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Civil Liberties, George W. Bush, Guantanamo Bay, National Security
Barack Obama
Obama's National Security Speech
Eric Kleefeld | May 21, 2009, 10:29AM
The following is the prepared text of President Obama's speech today on national security. You can also watch the speech live.
These are extraordinary times for our country. We are confronting an historic economic crisis. We are fighting two wars. We face a range of challenges that will define the way that Americans will live in the 21st century. There is no shortage of work to be done, or responsibilities to bear.PERMALINK | COMMENTS (54) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)And we have begun to make progress. Just this week, we have taken steps to protect American consumers and homeowners, and to reform our system of government contracting so that we better protect our people while spending our money more wisely. The engines of our economy are slowly beginning to turn, and we are working toward historic reform of health care and energy. I welcome the hard work that has been done by the Congress on these and other issues.
In the midst of all these challenges, however, my single most important responsibility as President is to keep the American people safe. That is the first thing that I think about when I wake up in the morning. It is the last thing that I think about when I go to sleep at night.
Topics: Barack Obama, Guantanamo Bay
Barack Obama
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 21, 2009, 8:56AM
Today: Obama's And Cheney's Big Speeches On National Security
The big headline event will be a dueling pair of speeches from President Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney, each laying out their visions for national security. Obama will be discussing at 10:10 a.m. ET the steps his Administration is taking on such issues as Guantanamo Bay and fighting terrorism, while Cheney will be speaking at 10:45 a.m. ET from the American Enterprise Institute, laying out a thorough defense of the Bush Administration's policies and condemning Obama's approach.
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will deliver his speech on national security at 10:10 a.m. ET, from the National Archives Museum Rotunda. At 1:30 p.m. ET, he will welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers to the White House, at the South Portico. At 4:15 p.m. ET, he will meet with President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania.
Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Dick Cheney, Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Joe Biden, NY-SEN, Senate '10
Guantanamo Bay
The Mark-Up, 05-20-2009
Brian Beutler | May 20, 2009, 4:40PM
TPMDC's daily update on the biggest legislative initiatives on the Hill:
- Guantanamo: The Senate stripped Guantanamo detention center closing funds from a war funding bill by an overwhelming vote of 90-6.
- Credit Card Reform: The House passed--and the President will soon sign--legislation cracking down on credit card companies. House leaders split the bill in two because of a measure sponsored by Tom Coburn (R-OK) allowing people to take guns into national parks. Both parts of the bill passed, but the move allowed liberal Democrats to go on record against the idea.
- EFCA: Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) tells potential EFCA opponents to get serious about compromise, or they'll have to go on record, one way or another, on the question of the original bill.
- Defense Spending: Defense Secretary Robert Gates isn't backtracking on his decision to cancel the (well over-budget) presidential helicopter program. But he does envision the possibility of a "escape helicopter," to make the President's job seem more awesome.
Topics: Defense Spending, Guantanamo Bay, House of Representatives, Senate, Tom Coburn
Guantanamo Bay
Off Track: Senate Democrats Block Funding To Close GITMO After White House Left Them High And Dry
Brian Beutler | May 20, 2009, 3:19PM
We reported earlier that the Senate voted overwhelmingly this afternoon to strip the funding for the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay from a supplemental war spending bill.
The move has angered many. It comes a day after Senate Democrats announced they would withhold the money until the White House settles on a comprehensive plan for dealing with detainees--and critics on the left are charging that Democratic leaders have caved to Republican scare tactics.
That's certainly part of the story--but a bigger problem, according to several sources, has been the White House's failure, for months, to co-ordinate strategy and messaging on the issue with Congress, where the bulk of opposition to the plan lies.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (55) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (4)Topics: Barack Obama, Dawn Johnsen, Guantanamo Bay, Harry Reid, Senate
Guantanamo Bay
Inhofe: Free Colonoscopies At Gitmo
Eric Kleefeld | May 20, 2009, 1:07PM
Those Gitmo prisoners don't know just how good they've got it!
At a press conference by Republican Senators opposed to closing the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) elaborated on what a humane environment Gitmo is: "anyone, any detainee, over 55 has an opportunity to have a colonoscopy."
"Now none of them take 'em up on it, because once they explain what it is, none of them want to do it," Inhofe added. "But nonetheless it's an opportunity that they have."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (14) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: Guantanamo Bay, Jim Inhofe
Guantanamo Bay
Senate Blocks Funds Needed To Shut Down Guantanamo...For Now
Brian Beutler | May 20, 2009, 12:47PM
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.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (28) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Democrats, Guantanamo Bay, Senate
Barack Obama
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 20, 2009, 9:00AM
Rumsfeld Spokesman Denies Accusations Of Biblical Quotes In Iraq War Briefings
Keith Urbahn, the spokesman for former Sec. of Defense Don Rumsfeld, is strongly denying the GQ report that Rumsfeld approved Iraq War briefings for President George W. Bush that incorporated Biblical quotes. "Rumsfeld was fully aware that words and actions could be harmful and counterproductive to the war effort. It's safe to say that some of these cover slides could be considered in that category," Urbahn said. "The suggestion that Rumsfeld would have composed of, approved of, or personally shown the slides to President Bush is flat wrong. It did not happen."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will attend the first quarterly meeting of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, at 10 a.m. ET in the Roosevelt Room, focusing at this meeting on clean energy jobs. At 3 p.m. ET, he will participate in a credentialing ceremony for foreign ambassadors in the Oval Office. He will hold a bill signing at 4:30 p.m. in the East Room, signing the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act. At 5:45 p.m. ET, he will call the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. At 7:30 p.m. ET, the President and First Lady will host a bipartisan reception in the Blue Room for members of the House and their guests.
Topics: Auto Industry, Barack Obama, Guantanamo Bay, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Joe Biden, Tom Coburn
Barack Obama
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 17, 2009, 1:03PM
Obama Delivering Notre Dame Commencement Address Today
President Obama is scheduled to deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary degree at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, at 2 p.m. ET. Pro-life protesters have already marched at the campus against Obama's pro-choice position. At 6:10 p.m. ET, he will headline a Democratic fundraiser in Indianapolis. He is scheduled to arrive back at the White House at 9 p.m. ET.
Steele: Notre Dame Honorary Degree For Obama 'Inappropriate'
Appearing today on Meet The Press, RNC chairman Michael Steele criticized the decision of Notre Dame to award President Obama an honorary degree. "Those institutions don't hand those degrees out that readily. So it is a very strong sticking point, and I think a lot of Catholics and a lot of pro-life Americans are very concerned about that, and I think it is inappropriate," said Steele. He added: "The president should speak, but the degree should not be conferred."
Topics: Barack Obama, Gay Marriage, Guantanamo Bay, John Boehner, KY-SEN, Michael Steele, Senate '10, Supreme Court
Barack Obama
TPMDC Saturday Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 16, 2009, 1:00PM
Obama Address: I'm Bringing People Together On Health Care And Energy
In this weekend's Presidential YouTube address, President Obama said he is bringing together different groups such as businesses and labor to deal with the issues of health care costs and clean energy:
"I have always believed that it is better to talk than not to talk; that it is far more productive to reach over a divide than to shake your fist across it," said Obama. "This has been an alien notion in Washington for far too long, but we are seeing that the ways of Washington are beginning to change."
GOP Address: Republicans Can Work With Obama On Health Care -- But No Public Option
In this weekend's RNC YouTube, Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) said Republicans can agree with President Obama on a lot of things regarding health care, and are prepared to work with him -- but he warned strongly against any pursuit of a public option:
"A government takeover of health care will put bureaucrats in charge of health care decisions that should be made by families and doctors," said Boustany. "It will limit treatment options and lead to rationed care. And to pay for government health care, your taxes will be raised."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (33) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Barack Obama, Guantanamo Bay, Health Care, Jon Huntsman, Supreme Court
Barack Obama
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 15, 2009, 9:00AM
Report: Military Tribunals To Return, With More Detainee Rights
The Obama Administration will reportedly announce a restart of some military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, under revamped conditions with new legal protections for terror suspects. Detainees will have greater leeway to choose their own attorneys, evidence obtained through torture will be banned, and hearsay evidence will be restricted.
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will welcome the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team to the White House at 12:20 p.m. ET, at the South Portico. At 1:05 p.m. ET, he will meet with Sec. of State Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office.
Topics: Afghanistan, Arlen Specter, Barack Obama, Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Joe Biden, PA-SEN, Senate '10
Barack Obama
TPMDC Saturday Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 9, 2009, 1:06PM
Obama Calls For Credit Card Reforms
In this weekend's Presidential YouTube Address, President Obama spoke of the need for a bill to reform the credit-card industry, and called upon Congress to have it ready for him to sign by Memorial Day:
"There is no time for delay," said Obama. "We need a durable and successful flow of credit in our economy, but we can't tolerate profits that depend upon misleading working families. Those days are over."
GOP YouTube Address Blasts Obama On Gitmo
In this weekend's Republican YouTube, Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) criticized President Obama for planning to close the detainee camp at Guantanamo Bay:
"Closing our terrorist-detention facility with no backup plan is one campaign promise that can't hold up to national security realities," said Bond. "While the President has made closing Guantanamo Bay a priority, the highest priority must be keeping America safe."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (48) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arlen Specter, Barack Obama, Guantanamo Bay, Joe Biden, PA-SEN, Senate '10
Afghanistan
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 6, 2009, 9:00AM
Specter Loses Seniority On Committees
The Senate Democratic Conference voted unanimously last night to deny seniority to Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), putting him near or at the very bottom of the Democratic rankings in each of his five committees during this Congress. He will be the last Senator to ask questions during the upcoming Supreme Court confirmation hearings. This matter could potentially be revisited after the 2010 elections.
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) at 11:30 a.m. ET. Obama and Vice President Biden will then meet at 12 p.m. ET with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-MT). At 2 p.m. ET, Obama and Biden will meet with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, and then at 2:40 p.m. ET with President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan, followed by a 3:30 p.m. trilateral meeting with both Karzai and Zardari. Obama will then deliver public remarks at 4:15 p.m. ET.
Topics: Afghanistan, Arlen Specter, Bailout, Barack Obama, Guantanamo Bay, Joe Biden, John McCain, Pakistan, Supreme Court, Tom Coburn
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