Senate Democrats Reject Obama's Request for Funds to Close GITMO

Under pressure from Republicans and concerned about the politics of relocating terrorism suspects to U.S. soil, Senate Democrats rejected President Obama's request for funding to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and vowed to withhold federal dollars until the president decides the fate of the facility's 240 detainees.

The decision represents a potentially serious setback for Obama, who as a candidate vowed to close Guantanamo and who signed an executive order beginning the process soon after he took office.

Obama had asked Congress for $80 million to close the facility, located on a U.S. military base in Cuba, by early 2010. Many Democrats see Guantanamo as an affront to the U.S. legal system and a symbol of Bush-era detainee policies, but they are increasingly wary about the next step, as yet undefined by Obama, of relocating the terrorism suspects who are detained at the site.

yea, more...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x356086



So it is bullshit to think he didn't have the cojones to do this; he didn't have the support. :mad:

just curious. :)

then no one place has to cope with the backlash from the Conservatives. The high security prisons can have a lottery to see who takes them. No one need to know where they placed?

"I don't want a stinky terrorist in my backyard!" This is not a joke. Obama is being obstructed by his Congress and almost everyone on this bloody site blames him.

Note the lack of response to this.

who needs friends. Are they afraid Gitmo is full of Steven Russells? I don't get the stupidity of this.

else to put the people who are there.

So don't give us this poor weak Obama deal again. He's the President of the United States- if he want to close the facility, he can find a way to get it done. Preferable without grovelling to cowards in the Senate.

So don't act as though this is a one-two-three and everything is done. If the Senators or enough of the government heads say no, it doesn't matter what the head of the Prison says. And then his hands are tied again. Further more President of the United States doesn't mean Dictator-in-Chief. I would think he would have had it done---you expect him too and use this great phrase "he can find a way to get it done" and obviously so far there is no way he can get it done. But you still claim he does.

And yeah---much of what Obama has to do is to "grovel" to the Senate. An executive order only lasts as long as he's in Presidency. So he wants things to stay put when in affect. Secondly, he's not Bush who didn't "grovel" to Senate---instead he lied to them to get what he wanted.

and last I saw, the Bureau of Prisons was a federal agency under the control of the executive branch, just like the military.

So sorry, this Obama's weak meme just doesn't cut it here.

I see the senators weak on this issue, not the president. BTW, isn't the BOP under the control of DOJ?

he has decided he needs some political cover on this issue. He was elected because he is a superb politician.

U.S. Senate panel votes to block Thomson funds


Ed Tibbetts The Quad-City Times | Posted: Friday, May 28, 2010 2:10 pm | (9) Comments


The plan to move Guantanamo Bay detainees to Thomson, Ill., was dealt another setback Friday.

The Senate Armed Services Committee approved a fiscal year 2011 defense authorization bill without funding for upgrading Thomson Correctional Center.

A summary on the committee�s website says the measure �eliminates availability of funding for the construction of a military detention facility in Thomson, Illinois.�

Congress has balked lately at the Obama administration�s plan to move Guantanamo Bay detainees to Thomson, which is about
50 miles northeast of the Quad-Cities.

The House passed an authorization bill with similar language a week ago.

more...

http://qctimes.com/news/local/government-and-politics/article_a48a6de4-6a8d-11df-bd88-001cc4c002e0.html

So, did he provide a plan. It has been more than one year now.

but that too was shot down.

U.S. Senate panel votes to block Thomson funds

http://qctimes.com/news/local/government-and-politics/article_a48a6de4-6a8d-11df-bd88-001cc4c002e0.html

"“and the administration is not putting a lot of energy behind their position that I can see,” said Levin, the chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/us/politics/26gitmo.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1277561381-QpDwDjuj2I63bkqQ9oVjXg

but he still has a piss-poor record on detainee rights.