Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Obama Job Approval Average as of May 17, 2009 is 60.8, while Congress rates at 35.7 (click here)


President Obama signs order to close Guantanomo.




In this ABC News interview from Dec. 15, 2008, former Vice President Dick Cheney admits approving harsh interrogation tactics against terror suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others - including arguing that waterboarding was appropriate in order to gather information from detainees.

The Fear Mongering Senate, Veto the Bill. Who needs the military supplement? Bring them home, now !


McConnell is calling it a BiPartisan victory for the Republicans vs. Obama.

..."The president and Congress (click here) will work together on a timeline for a renewed request for whatever resources are needed," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. "The president still believes it is in our national interest to close Guantanamo Bay."
Obama plans to give a speech on Thursday to further detail his policy on the prison and anti-terror tactics after criticism from rights groups that he has flipped on key promises like ending military tribunals for the detainees and releasing abuse photos....

The US Senate seems to believe if they legislate their innocense then they are. It looks as though regardless the outrage over the prisoners in Gitmo, those most responsible are attempting to legislate their innocense.

..."Every administration makes mistakes. They made mistakes by the way they are handling it and now they are trying to fix it," said Senator John McCain, Obama's 2008 presidential foe....

I love that statement. "Every administration makes mistakes...."

..."Every administration makes mistakes...."

..."Every administration makes mistakes...."

Hm. That was a great opening statement by REPUBLICAN Senator John McCann, in admitting Gitmo is a mistake. I have to congratulate him for his honesty.

"...They made mistakes by the way they are handling it and now they are trying to fix it," said Senator John McCain, Obama's 2008 presidential foe.

So, according to Republican Senator John McCain it was a mistake that Gitmo was opened for prisoners of war from Afghanistan and who knows where else, BUT, fixing it is hideous.

I mean that 'spin logic' really works for me. Why fix something that was a mistake, let's keep making mistakes.

The ONLY reason the Democrats went along with this WHILE still investiaging all aspects of torture and Gitmo, is because they are looking for ways to cut the budget, so why fix something that was a mistake for $80 million and keep investigating so we can actually charge THE VERY PEOPLE that were responsible.

Patrick Leahy
Lifting the Bush-era veil of secrecy (click here)
On US torture, we need to find out what happened - and why

THE OBAMA administration's decision to release more Bush-era memoranda, which sought to rationalize torture, shows that President Obama is following through on his promise to ban torture and to provide transparency to our government. The Bush-Cheney administration not only broke the law, it shattered the public trust and undermined America's reputation around the world.

After withdrawing the so-called Bybee "torture memo," the Bush-Cheney administration secretly reinstated the torture policy. While repeatedly claiming that the United States did not torture, the Bush-Cheney administration secretly authorized techniques that included waterboarding - up to 183 times in one case. This was not an "abstract legal theory," or "hypothetical," as Alberto Gonzales dismissively (It would seem as though 'dismissing' responsibility as Senator McCain is proposing in his 'MISTAKE' statement is a 'directive' of Republicans.) described in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. These were specific techniques, authorized by high-ranking US government officials and used on real people. We have prosecuted people for these kinds of acts against Americans, and condemned other nations for sanctioning these methods....


CLOSE GITMO.

The frequent reason the Republicans like to use regarding Gitmo is pure fear of the prisoners. McConnell promised there would never be terrorists ever imprisoned on USA soil again. Really?

...In a new Washington Post-ABC News poll (click here), 53 percent of Americans said the United States should shutter the controversial facility, finding another way to deal with the prisoners under custody there. But a sizable proportion of all adults polled, 42 percent, and a broad majority of Republicans, 69 percent, said terrorism suspects should remain at Gitmo. Most Democrats, 68 percent, and independents, 55 percent, said they'd prefer another way....

The Democrats need to find a different way to cut $80 millions from the military supplement. I would look into defunding 'Star Wars' at Russian borders.