Senate Blocks Funds to Close Gitmo (Vote 90-6)
WOWZA!
Looks like some representatives are entering the realm of reality and are beginning to understand that constituents do not want these detainees in their backyards!
The vote for the amendment to block funding for the closure of Gitmo was probably the most bipartisan effort during the new administration’s term yet! And it was against a campaign promise/agenda item for Obama. This will leave a black eye on his administration because the majority of congress and Americans do not want the detainees released onto U.S. soil, especially without a plan.
If Bush and the Republicans were so wrong about these convicted terrorists, wouldn’t there have been a more contested vote on this? As we see this was all deliberately political — the Democrats wanted to anger the American public by demonizing Bush and Cheney via their words and through the liberal media so they could gain the majority and win the Presidency. To be honest, I find it all disingenuous and very disheartening that those like Nancy Pelosi who whimper about being misled are actually the ones misleading the public.
Victor Davis Hansonputs it very succinctly:
Except for the introduction of euphemisms and a few new ballyhooed but largely meaningless protocols, there is no longer a Bush-did-it argument. The Patriot Act, wiretaps, e-mail intercepts, military tribunals, Predator drone attacks, Iraq, Afghanistan — and now Guantánamo — are officially no longer part of the demonic Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld nexus, but apparently collective legitimate anti-terrorism measures designed to thwart killers, and by agreement, after years of observance, of great utility in keeping us safe the last eight years…In short, all the fury, the vicious slander, the self-righteous outbursts, the impassioned speeches from the floor, the “I accuse” op-eds by the usual moralistic pundits — all that turned out to be solely about politics, nothing more.
The vote to block funding isn’t even the icing on the cake. Earlier today a federal judge also ruled in favor of keeping detainees as long as possible if the U.S. so chooses! What a victory for America!
A federal judge says the United States can continue to hold some prisoners at Guantanamo Bay indefinitely without any charges.
U.S. District Judge John Bates’ opinion issued Tuesday night limited the Obama administration’s definition of who can be held. But he said Congress in the days after Sept. 11, 2001 gave the president the authority to hold anyone involved in planning, aiding or carrying out the terrorist attacks.
Bates’ opinion comes amid increasing debate over whether President Barack Obama is going to release anyone from Guantanamo. Obama has promised to close the prison by January, but Senate Democrats say they will block the move until he comes up with a plan for the detainees.
Bates’ opinion came in the case of several Guantanamo prisoners who are challenging their detention. ACLU attorney Jonathan Hafetz said the opinion “flouts the Constitution’s prohibition against indefinite detention without charge.”
This was a huge defeat of the ACLU and their anti-American push! Legally Obama is not obligated to release anyone from Guantanamo, so if he so chooses, he may give up incredible amounts of political capital, because any decisions to release detainees will all be on him…
Oh, and if you were curious here are the 6 Nays (crazies!)
| NAYs —6 | ||
| Durbin (D-IL) Harkin (D-IA) |
Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) |
Reed (D-RI) Whitehouse (D-RI) |
Running the country is not nearly as easy as the previous 43 presidents made it look, eh Barry?
And as was obvious to the less-smitten amongst us, the pollyana gobbledygook he laid on the left to get himself elected was never going to work in reality- a fact that the calculating opportunist Obama likely knew full-well back when he was promising them the moon and the stars.
He’ll use you, if you let him… that’s how narcissists are.
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