One Step Closer To Closing GITMO

The House did their part today to pave the way for the closing of GITMO, and the vote was even bipartisan. Now we just have to hope the Senate follows suit.

71

I think one thing has been overlooked that President Obama said in his speech on thursday because of the major pushback on "preventative detention". Allow me to excerpt:

The third category of detainees includes those who we have been ordered released by the courts. Let me repeat what I said earlier: this has absolutely nothing to do with my decision to close Guantanamo. It has to do with the rule of law. The courts have found that there is no legitimate reason to hold twenty-one of the people currently held at Guantanamo. Twenty of these findings took place before I came into office. The United States is a nation of laws, and we must abide by these rulings.

The fourth category of cases involves detainees who we have determined can be transferred safely to another country. So far, our review team has approved fifty detainees for transfer. And my Administration is in ongoing discussions with a number of other countries about the transfer of detainees to their soil for detention and rehabilitation.

Now I take nothing away from the people blowing up about his references to possibly instituting "preventative detention" for the first time in our Country's history. However how is there not an outcry in the liberal and progressive blogosphere to get these 71 detainees out of GITMO ASAP? We don't know yet how long many of these detainees have been there but you would imagine it has been at the least several years. But even though we know that they are "innocent" in some way shape or form, justice has not come to them. I know its hard to imagine sitting in a cell probably being mistreated for years on end without ever being charged with a crime, but imagine all of those things describe your experience AND you have been found to not be guilty and or not be a danger to society yet you STILL sit in the same cell day after day. I hope that we pull ourselves away from the "preventative detention" subject long enough to demand that these detainees get to see the light of day. Last thought on this, those 71 prisoners make up almost 30% of the population of GITMO right now and the process of reviewing cases isn't even over yet. Not only does that expose the level of fail coming out of the Bush Adminstration, but it also exposes the lie that the Republicans have repeated week after week that "only the worst of the worst" are left at GITMO. Something needs to give, and soon!

And Now For The Main Event!

Goodmorning America brings us the match up we have been hoping for. Liz Cheney vs Lawrence O'Donnell. Unfortunately because this was a "polite" setting O'Donnell couldn't unload the clip like I am sure he wanted to so it didn't quite live up to the hype. However make no mistake, this was absolutely an PWNING.



Did you notice that Liz Cheney had no comeback to any of Lawrence O'Donnell's questions? Did you also notice that she totally made up some shit about we only prosecuted people for waterboarding because they did "some additional things" other than waterboarding? I loved how O'Donnell hit back when Liz said 14% of detainees who were released from GITMO "returned to the fight" (which we know isn't true) by pointing out that it was her dad who let them out in the first place. Now if only we could get that same match up somewhere like "Hardball" or "Morning Joe"

Run Chickenhawk Run

I am frikking loving Jesse Ventura these days. His newest victim was Brian Kilmeade oon Fox And Friends. Jesse Ventura kept pummelling his feeble little brain with facts until Kilmeade pulled the ultimate bitch move and stormed off the set. Its amazing how wingnuts run for the hills whenever they get called out on their bullshit. I only wish we had more voices like Jesse Ventura to tell it like it is.

Ask And Ye Shall Receive

Senator Diane Feinstein continues the pushback on the GOP NIMBY fearmongering.

Can We Have More Of This Damnit!

Dick Durbin gave a speech on the floor of the Senate that I have been calling for for weeks. Its time for Democrats to own this issue and pushback on stupid ass right wing talking points about bringing GITMO detainees to American prisons. And I am hoping that maybe this will be the first step in Dick Durbin replacing Harry Reid as Majority Leader!

Can We Just Fire Harry Reid Already?

If you thought Congressional Democrats had changed their stripes just because President Obama got elected you would be wrong. The are still political cowards especially in the Senate where they are led by the perinnial bed wetter Harry Reid. I can't describe how frustrated and angry Reid's statement today on closing GITMO makes me. And the truth is this has nothing to do with he public good. It has everything to do with being too much of a pussy to get in front of the American people and fend of partisan attacks from Republicans about the "dangers" of putting GITMO detainees in American jails. Lets take a look at this dithering idiot's words.

Accepting the right wing’s baseless premise, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) declared in a press conference today, “We will never allow terrorists to be released into the United States.” In several tense back and forths with reporters, Reid said he opposes imprisoning detainees on U.S. soil, saying flatly, “We don’t want them around the United States”:

REID: I’m saying that the United States Senate, Democrats and Republicans, do not want terrorists to be released in the United States. That’s very clear.

QUESTION: 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.

QUESTION: Sir, are you going to clarify that a little bit? …

REID: 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.

Later, Reid repeated that he would not support Guantanamo detainees being transferred to U.S prisons..."

Update: After the press conference today, Reid's office released the following statement:

"President George W. Bush, Senator John McCain, Secretary Colin Powell, President Obama and I all agree – Guantanamo must be closed. President Obama’s approach is a responsible one. [...]

“The amendment Chairman Inouye has offered today recognizes that it would be premature for Congress to act before the Administration proposes its plan. I support his amendment. On two important points, however, we do not need to wait for any instruction – and there should be no misunderstanding. Let me be clear: Democrats will not move to close Guantanamo without a responsible plan in place to ensure Americans’ safety. And we will never allow a terrorist to be released into the United States.

“This amendment is as clear as day. It explicitly bars using the funds in this bill to ‘transfer, release or incarcerate’ any of the Guantanamo detainees in the United States. When the Administration closes Guantanamo, we will ensure it does so the right way.”

What a steaming pile of feckless cowardly bullshit! Who the fuck is really scared of people locked up in a supermax prison or a military facility? And yet here is Harry Reid giving Republicans and their fearmongering arguments all of the legitimacy they have never deserved and all in the interest of politics. Make no mistake about it this is just a political game of cover your ass. Its the same political game that gave us that shitty assed FISA bill last year so as to not "hurt Democratic chances in the election". Now that we have a damn near filibuster proof Senate and the Presidency and the House by a wide margin this muthafucka still doesn't have the balls to do the right thing instead of the most politically correct thing. If there are any Democrats who disagree with Harry Reid I hope they ring the bell loud and often and hopefully someone could challenge his dumb ass for the Majority Leader's seat. What fucking difference does it make to elect Democrats if at the first sign of Republicans attacking they fold like cheap lawn chairs?

Fucking unbelievable.


(h/t gunny)