Obama keeping his promise on Guantanamo Bay

[Egnever]

I know its the cool thing to do here to claim Obama broke his promise on closing Guantanamo bay but even today he talks about still trying to close it and why. I was really pleased to hear this today.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gTS2Pa1n1Sh9sOrFbmP8wIJpXPOg?docId=5858fe99480c4ef4824b09a3dc1d6932

Q Guantanamo Bay prison: Will it be closed while you're President of the United States?

THE PRESIDENT: I still believe it should be closed. I still believe that it is a symbol of our past efforts that, sincere as they were, ended up cutting some corners in terms of our commitment to due process and our commitment to rule of law.

I know that it's a very emotional issue for folks. But one of the things -- I was speaking to a group, and somebody from New York asked me about this issue because of Attorney General Holder's decision to try KSM -- Mohammed -- who was the planner of 9/11. And they said, we're glad you're not doing it in New York. And I said it was important for us to make a decision to go ahead and prosecute this guy -- it's been 10 years now, the families deserve justice. But I'm -- I remain convinced we could have handled this in New York. We could have handled it in a normal court.

I think it's very important for us not to elevate folks who are murderers and thugs into something special. Our criminal justice system is -- and our trial system is capable of prosecuting terrorists. We've done it before; we can do it again. And I think that we do a disservice to the cause of America's security when we elevate these guys into some special category. They're just a bunch of people who had no regard for human life and are willing to kill people, and we've got to go after them with everything we can.

And we have -- which is why al Qaeda in the region between Afghanistan and Pakistan is probably as hunkered down and as embattled and as weak as it has been over the last 10 years. We have been going at them hard. But we don't have to cower down ourselves or somehow feel that they have some special powers that prevent us from trying them and going after them in a serious way.

Q The premise of the question, though, was about closing Guantanamo while you're President. You said you would like to do it --

THE PRESIDENT: Well, look, there's no doubt that -- we're not going to do it right now. And the reason is, is that members of Congress feel very strongly that we shouldn't and there are a lot of people who are afraid of the possibilities of bringing some of these individuals to the continental United States.

It's my job to give people some assurance that we can handle this effectively, and obviously I haven't been able to make the case right now, and without Congress's cooperation we can't do it. That doesn't mean I stop making the case.

So maybe you ragers out there can take that one off your lists...I wont hold my breathe.

[leftstreet]

1. What was his original promise? Jeez, I can't even remember n/t

[notesdev]

2. Way to undermine your own part

Allow me to highlight the part you should have highlighted

THE PRESIDENT: Well, look, there's no doubt that -- we're not going to do it right now. And the reason is, is that members of Congress feel very strongly that we shouldn't and there are a lot of people who are afraid of the possibilities of bringing some of these individuals to the continental United States.

Give all the excuses you want, this is a very plainly broken and abandoned promise.

[young but wise]

3. K&R.

[Egnever]

6. So you read that but not the sentance that followed it?

And the reason is, is that members of Congress feel very strongly that we shouldn't and there are a lot of people who are afraid of the possibilities of bringing some of these individuals to the continental United States.

You seriously call him not being able to get congress to move on it breaking a promise? The intellectual dishonesty required to make that claim would make you appear quite foolish IMHO.

[notesdev]

11. He's Commander in Chief

And Guantanamo is a military installation.

If he had the courage of his convictions, it could be ordered closed today, and there's not a damn thing anyone in Congress can do about it.

The whole quote reveals that he's simply not willing to take the political heat that would result from fulfilling the promise; that he'd rather take the political heat from breaking the promise.

Either way, the promise is broken, and no amount of excuses can change that.

[Egnever]

16. And he would do what with the prisoners there?

How is congress refusing to do what he asked an excuse? What would you have him do to change what congress is willing to do about it?

[Shiver]

19. He ordered it closed on the first day.

A little Google will show you: http://articles.cnn.com/2009-01-22/politics/guantanamo.order_1_detention-guantanamo-bay-torture?_s=PM:POLITICS

And the executive order itself: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ClosureOfGuantanamoDetentionFacilities/

Unfortunately for your statement, there is a lot Congress can do and has done about it. They blocked the funding, and have blocked every effort to try the detainees in civil courts.

[Egnever]

21. Thank you!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

24. This reminds me of the fight over DADT

Obama can't circumvent the law that Congress passed and he signed (being part of the defense appropriations bill). His hands are tied by Congress at the moment.

[gratuitous]

12. And the rest of that sentence undermines Obama, too

"Members of Congress feel very strongly." Excuse me, Mr. Impotent, but who's running the Department of Justice? You or the "feelings" of members of Congress? What should guide your decisions, your oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, or "people who are afraid of the possibilities"?

If you discard your principles because of feelings and fear, then your principles aren't really your principles. It is absolute nonsense for the administration to blame its failure to abide by the Constitution on the strong feelings of members of Congress or the fears some people have of "possibilities."

Pretty it up all you want, but at base level, it comes down to that. And it should be the shame of every American who believes in the Constitution.

[Egnever]

17. What does the department of justice have to do with it ?

Aside from the fact that Obama only appoints the head he doesn't head it himself. THE DOJ tried to have civilian trials for these guys and the governors of the states rebelled. You expect him to ram it through in spite of their refusal to cooperate?

[gratuitous]

27. See, the Department of Justice is run by a cabinet level official

He's called the Attorney General. The Attorney General, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, is the head of the Department of Justice. As the head of the Department of Justice, it's up to the Attorney General to prosecute federal crimes, and . . .

Ah, the hell with it. If this nonsense looks okay to you, then more power to you. But the betrayal of the Constitution and the lame excuses proffered are an affront to any American.

[Ignis]

22. That jumped right out at me, too.

:wtf:

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Skittles]

5. yes - he talks, a lot

:rofl:

[Egnever]

7. You get that from free republic or come up with that yourself?

what do you expect him to do on it? Get out a baseball bat and start beating people?

Talking about it is virtually the only power he has and he continues to do it.

[Skittles]

29. I think for myself

which makes me ineligible for the FANBASE

[MadHound]

8. Hmm, two years, with a Democratic majority in Congress, and it still isn't closed

More talk, no action.

[Egnever]

9. Yet not his promise broken

And I'll ask you the same thing, what could he do to change the outcome? Cause he continues even today to push for its closure.

[MadHound]

14. Quote, from January '09

"The detention facilities at Guantanamo for individuals covered by this order shall be closed as soon as practicable, and no later than one year from the date of this order," the draft order said.

Anyone still in detention when the prison was shut "shall be returned to their home country, released, transferred to a third country or transferred to another United States detention facility,"

Oh, wait, it is now two years later, Gitmo is still open, and still housing prisoners.

Promise broken.

If a Democratic president, with a Democratic majority in Congress, can't push through his promise, then he is worthless. Far too many examples of Democratic presidents pushing through their agenda, their promises through Congress exist that belie the excuses that Obama was powerless in this matter.

[Egnever]

18. LInk?

And again its not because Obama hasn't held up his part its because congress refuses to cooperate. That would be like saying its pelosi's fault ryans budget passed the house.

[Solly Mack]

10. sincere efforts? Torture was a sincere effort on America's part?

Cutting some corners? Wow...

[Egnever]

20. Unfortunately a lot of people in this country believe it was

And they were allowed to be in power and to remain in power to do so. We now have a guy in the white house that wants to change that and many here only want to call him a liar instead of working to get him a congress that will get it done.

[Solly Mack]

31. What people believe doesn't change the fact that torture is illegal now and was illegal then

or that the Bush administration committed war crimes.

War crimes are not "sincere efforts" or "cutting some corners" - nor should they ever be dismissed as such. And the language is dismissive because it downplays the severity of what actually took place...especially by calling torture (and every other abuse) a "sincere effort".

That's just plain bullshit.

[quinnox]

13. Ok, good to know some will give him excuses for whatever he does

I suppose Obama hasn't broken one promise to some people. Those in Obama happy cloud land, that is.

[Egnever]

15. How is this promise broken?

He is still trying to close it. Dont know why I bother asking you this as you have been bashing him since before he got in office but I would like to know how you can call it a broken promise.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

23. Politifact has rated it as "broken" as well.

though I strongly disagree. It's only "broken" insofar as he wasn't able to get it done yet- though it was not for a lack of trying. He clearly still wants to do it and will do it if and when he gets a Congress that is agreeable to it as well. I call BS on it being a "broken" promise.

[Egnever]

26. Well said

I agree it is not for lack of trying.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

33. I think that a promise should be considered "broken"

only if somebody either changed their mind and/or is not taking affirmative action to do something he/she promised to do. Obama's hands appear to be tied by Congress at the moment. It's Congress IMHO that needs to be held accountable for keeping Gitmo open. Had Congress funded the transfer of the prisoners to prisons that ostensibly have no problems whatsoever holding serial killers, rapists, and other criminal masterminds, we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. I don't understand this whole mentality of why we can no longer try terrorists in our courts either. We prosecuted the plotters of the 1993 WTC bombing, as well as others, and we never had these kind of debates until Bush/Cheney turned the issue of terrorism into a debate between using conventional law enforcement vs. military means to capture and try terror suspects.

[Ignis]

25. I'll take my equivocation finely parsed, please!

:eyes:

Is whether or not a politician broke a campaign promise really, really more important than whether or not the promised Change was actually effected?

Really?

[Chris_Texas]

28. Sorry, he gets no pass from me. It's just another failed promise in a LONG list

[Cascadian]

30. An election year is coming up!

And he knows he better say something about this and the supposed "change' we were to have. Time for the "dog and pony" show again. You're either with us or with the Republicans!





John

(The Cascadian is back!)

[Union Scribe]

32. Loan me some money. I promise to pay it back.

Well, what I mean is that in a few years I'll tell you I strongly believe you should be payed back, but you know, shit just comes up, okay?

[GeorgeGist]

34. A courageous President ...

could empty Guantanamo prison in 48 hrs. Nice try though, punk.

[Obamanaut]

35. Actually, no. Look at the first part of the quote in the message block:

"...Q Guantanamo Bay prison: Will it be closed while you're President of the United States?..."

"THE PRESIDENT: I still believe it should be closed...."

"Will it be closed..." answered by "..."I believe it should be..." is not a *yes* answer. Sorry, but the statements do not match "meeting his promise."

This one stays on the list. And it is hold your breath, not hold your breathe.

[JackRiddler]

36. Did you know that party-line cheerleading is often counter-productive?

I read the whole thing.

Are you seriously telling us "I wish I could keep my promise" counts?

a) It is not the same as keeping the promise, and your attempt to say it's so makes you look like a blind fan for the home team, nothing more. Laughable.

b) It is not even true. Congressional opposition is a reason to fold preemptively, without even trying?

Closing Guantanamo is not a priority to him, period. That's what the interview tells us.

He could have had all of the Guantanamo prisoners flown into the United States within a week of his inauguration. He certainly could have ended the Bush plan to hold military show trials of Teh Evildoers. (If New York is a problem, hold the damn trial in Shanksville.) He lets tyranny and crimes against humanity stand, and he's sorry he can't do more about it? This is a defense?