Sanders On The Guantanamo Vote

Arrrrgh! Politics is so completely fucking frustrating sometimes that it just makes me wanna go punch my neighbor’s annoying teenager.

Wow. I never thought I’d hear Bernie Sanders say something like that. He’s got a point, but to vote against funds for a project that’s going to take the rest of the year because they don’t have a “detailed plan” in their hands AND with inference that it’s being closed the second they sign the check is sad. All this knowing Gitmo MUST be closed because its continued existance is a detriment to our national security.I wish he would have said something like this a fewe years ago:“A number of important questions remain unanswered regarding the rather complicated issue of not just how you invaded Iraq, but what the long term plans were for the country,” he added. “Why did we destroy their infrastrucure? Why did we disband their army? Why did we guard the oil fields but leave munitions depots open for easy theft and now those stolen weapons are being used against our own troops? I think that it is prudent to review that plan they develop before we spend billion dollar supplemental after billion dollar supplemental in taxpayer money.”

perhaps the price might be lowered to a more reasonable figure….ya think?He’s talking $3 Million a piece. You think that would be the first and only cost they’ll seek?

I’d just LOVE to know how many times the Democrats said/did this to GWB: “No more blank checks for the war until we have a detailed withdrawal strategy and a specific timetable for that withdrawal,” only to turn around within the next few days and hand GWB the blank check he wanted WITHOUT any kind of withdrawal strategy whatsoever from GWB. Did anybody keep count?

Indeed, Ady. Suddenly they have a spine when it comes to spending what amounts to chump change in the grand scheme of this disaster, when they consistently handed out billions by the eighties to Bush, off the books, whenever he asked.Remember, Bernie will be on Thom Hartmann today. I’m sure the topic will come up and I’m sure more than a few will be unhappy with him.

Yes Bernie Sanders. Much like the super detailed plan y’all got from treasury before approving $700 billion. Way to be vigilant.

Ya know J, I was thinking the EXACT same thing.I do understand his argument. It would just be real nice if Congress was more consistent regarding their decision-making process. I would have much rathered a ‘No’ on the bailout and a ‘Yes’ on GITMO than the other way around.

Tom Harkin said last night (can’t remember which MSNBC show I heard it on) that the $$ to close Gitmo (which was voted down) was part of a supplemental bill and come September, the money would be there – meaning voted on & passed.Maybe we should accept him at his word…

I think that J and Ady make excellent points, but I’ve got another issue with this. It’s not like, once we get the funding, the checks are going to be written by the end of the month are they? This is for funding approval, not funding dispersal, right?Somewhat related, I called offices of Sen Shumer & Sen Kohl yesterday to express my, uh, displeasure at their vote. Interestingly, the staffer at Kohl’s office immediately responded with some talking points that “Sen Kohl was one of 89 other Senators, blah, blah, blah..”. Sounded like Sen Kohl was anticipating some blowback on this and was trying to deflect critics.

Hey, Nano, how much longer before some whackaloon brings up the wild notion that President Obama is actually quite comfortable with the idea of terrorists roaming the streets of our neighborhoods b/c he has domestic terrorist Bill Ayers living in his? I mean, Obama even “palled around” with Ayers at block parties and BBQ’s.

perhaps the price might be lowered to a more reasonable figure….ya think?He’s talking $3 Million a piece. You think that would be the first and only cost they’ll seek?

Rob, what are you talking about? The cost to move each detainee? Well if that were the only reason, your math is off. $80 mil divided by 245 detainees = $326,530. Not $3 million a piece. And obviously the costs are not solely for prisoner transfer purposes.Besides the fact that not one Senator is arguing about the cost of closing Gitmo. I didn’t hear anyone say, “Gee, that’s too expensive.” All they said was, “EEKS! I’m too scared to have them in a maximum security prison on US soil! Run away! Run away!” What a bunch of wimps.

my bad Carl, you’re right.

This is 100% pure posturing for 2010. They are afraid of ther opponents running spooky tv ads about releasing terrorists.Bunch of chicken shits

Yes, its all about the campaign commercials. How can we get anything done if pols are continually worried about perception, and not as much about getting things done and doing what’s right.

elena, take the money out of it. that will never happen.