There’s plenty to annoy in Hope ‘n Change’s Cairo University speech. He used Guantanamo as an applause line, saying, ‘We are taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.’
Meanwhile, The Hill reports, ‘The White House sent a deputy national security adviser to Capitol Hill Wednesday evening to urge Senate Democrats to drop their resistance to relocating Guantanamo Bay detainees to U.S. prisons. The adviser met with the Democratic Conference for about an hour, pressing them to modify an amendment adopted in May to the war-spending measure that would deny the administration funding to close the prison in Cuba and transfer the prisoners into the United States.’
But even Democrats are displeased with Hope ‘n change: ‘Democrats attending the meeting said the White House presentation was met with skepticism.’ Little wonder that Democrats were skeptical given the overwhelming vote last month against funding and a new Gallup poll showing that Americans oppose closing Guantanamo by 65%-32%. Further, 74% oppose closing the facility and moving some detainees into their states. 54% percent feel so strongly that they not only oppose closing Guantanamo, but would be ‘upset’ if it is closed. In particular, self-described political independents are strongly opposed to closing the facility by 68%-29%.
But leave it to the lefties to whine. In The Hill article, little Dickie Durbin says that ‘[Gitmo] is an emotional issue, but at the end of the day I think most people realize we don’t have much choice. To leave Guantanamo open is a problem — not just for the president politically, but for us as a nation.’
Oh yeah, Senator Durbin? Not for me. And the rest of the country seems to feel the same way. As Gallup states: ‘Thus far, Americans don’t seem to be persuaded by the Obama argument — only 18% believe the Guantanamo Bay prison has weakened U.S. national security. More than twice as many take the opposing view that it has strengthened U.S. security.’
But Hope ‘n Change’s still pressuring the Congress to cough up the dough – which we don’t seem to have at the moment – to close the facility and move these bad guys to the continental US.
In a blogger conference call with Sen. Sam Brownback that I attended this morning, the senator talked about the foolishness of wasting money to move
detainees to Leavenworth, for instance. Sen. Brownback described the physical security problems at the Leavenworth detainment facility and its close proximity to military housing, schools and, indeed, the whole Kansas City metro area.
The Senator was quite adamant against moving the detainees when there is a secure, comfortable and professionally-run facility currently operating that insulates these viral inmates both from the US general population and other prison inmates.
This is going to be interesting.
For audio of today’s blogger conference with Sen. Brownback, click HERE.
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