Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Poor Barry

Candidate Obama made a promise and all the kids clapped.  But now President Obama has a problem: "Reminder: Bringing GITMO Detainees to The U.S. is Banned Under Federal Law."
There's just one major problem: bringing GITMO detainees to the United States is banned under federal law. In fact, just two months ago Democrats and Republicans in Congress bolstered the law.
By a wide margin, Americans don't want Gitmo detainees on U.S. soil.  But here's the problem: Barry is addicted to the kneejerk adulation of his left-wing base.  As he moves into lame-duckery, he needs some applause lines for the college crybullies, especially if he can rant about the do-nothing Congress.

Oh, it's against the law?  Barry don't care.  Greater good.  And campaigning.

8 comments:

Nigel Tufnel said...

That's almost as silly as sending President Obama legislation to defund the ACA. But here's the problem: Congressional Republicans are addicted to the kneejerk adulation of their right-wing base. They need some applause lines for the Tea Partiers and faux libertarians, especially so they can rant about the do-nothing President.

The detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay is a national disgrace. What America is doing there is no better than what the British used to do in Northern Ireland. Our activities in Guantanamo Bay serve the propaganda interests of terrorist groups. It is a demonstration of the triumph of fear over core national values and our defense of the inalienable rights we claim we hold dear. It should never have been opened and it needs to be closed down.

Eric said...

"Our activities in Guantanamo Bay serve the propaganda interests of terrorist groups." Virtually nobody believes this Obama talking point.

Obama is the Steve Urkel of Gitmo: did I do that (deny prisoners due process)? Who has been Commander in Chief for the last seven years? Dick Cheney, maybe.

When they attempted to try Khalid Shiek Mohammad in NYC, Chuck ("No SC votes in an election year!") Schumer was the one who pushed back.

Why do Democrats hate America?

Nigel Tufnel said...

Vituperation is an effective cognitive dissonance reducer. It is also like heroin - you need to do more and more to feel good.

So the Viking Pundit (and "virtually" everyone) thinks Guantanamo Bay is OK and doesn't damage America's image? It isn't an affront to the inalienable rights of all men?

Nigel wearily shakes his Irish potato head. He remembers watching "Firing Line" as a lad. The Right needs a WFB to lead them out of the wilderness. And right quick.

Eric said...

Well, I'm just an unfrozen caveman lawyer but what I DID say is that Gitmo is not a propaganda tool for terrorists.
"Hey Mohammad, are we still doing the car bombing tonight?"
"Let me check to see if Obama has closed Gitmo yet."

Unfrozen caveman lawyer agrees with latter point: I'm frightened and confused by fire and Donald Trump.

Nigel Tufnel said...

You're spending too much time staring at the trees, Patriot. Look at the forest.

Nigel recalls *sniff* touching moments of clarity and self reflection when the Vike processed the reality of electoral defeats by GOP White House hopefuls in recent years.

Nigel is unconfused (but frightened) by the mental Gordian Knots employed by the Vike to restart (and keep) the fire burning on these virtual pages.

Eric said...

If Hillary wins, I'm done. Fini.

When we're not flouncing around with rococo language in our witty pas-de-deux, why don't we admit that Gitmo is the responsibility of the Commander-in-Chief? If he wanted it closed, he should have compelled the Justice Department to charge these prisoners, move them out, and shut it down. This yearly temper tantrum that Congress won't do it his way is typical for this Boy President.

As for Congress voting to repeal Obamacare, I don't see anything wrong with the peoples' representatives trying to repeal a legislation that has never had majority approval and is increasingly implemented in a lawless manner. I seem to remember Nigel had an affinity for Constitutional Law and the will of the People but I guess that was a long time ago.

Nigel Tufnel said...

Pearl of wisdom from Nigel:
Vituperation is an effective cognitive dissonance reducer. It is also like heroin - you need to do more and more to feel good. 'Temper tantrum', "Boy President', etc. Why do you use this kind of rhetoric so often?

The will of the people was expressed in Obama's easy wins.
The will of the GOP is expressed in gerrymandered Congressional districts and a Citizens United ruling that solidifies the stranglehold of extremism on a once venerable party. Representatives and Senators are feeding that beast because it works. National polls show Congressional favorability at dismally low levels, but the individual Representative and Senators keep getting re-elected because the system they've created is working as they had hoped.

You know when they do polls regarding the ACA that the results depend entirely on how the questions are asked. When people are polled about the individual aspects of it they are in favor, but when asked about 'Obamacare' they are against it. That is a triumph of rhetoric over reason.

Your argument about Obama's ending the affront to the inalienable rights of men that is Guantanamo Bay is much the same. You ignore the real issue as you flail away at the boogeyman Obama. It is a matter of record that the Republicans made a tactical decision early on to obstruct anything the President tried to do and then accuse him of 'not working with us' to deflect any criticism. So it worked. Congratulations(?). What happened to your argument that bringing them here is banned by law? It's cast aside because it isn't what you really care about. Why devote energy to saying nyah-nyah at Obama rather than getting behind ending this or suggesting an alternative?

Nigel believes the GOP is reaping what it has sown with the ascent of Donald Trump, and he takes no pleasure in it at all. Nigel is in fact quite distressed. Nigel wants a serious Republican Party as a political and ideological stabilizing force. Nigel also believes that if Trump romps on Tuesday Republicans will start getting behind him and rationalizing away what he says or does no matter how much it flies in the face of common sense or conservative values.

Eric said...

"Vituperation is an effective cognitive dissonance reducer."

That's the second time you've said that. Is it a reducer or an enhancer? Or, like the explicit wording of Obamacare, do they mean only what you hope they mean?

Speaking of which: yeah, when Americans are asked about preferable aspects of the law, they like it. When asked about $6000 deductibles and forcing nuns to buy birth control, not so much. Someday we'll stop calling it "Obamacare"; in the meantime, suck it up America. You don't know how good you got it.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/obama_and_democrats_health_care_plan-1130.html

Housing Gitmo prisoners on the mainland is banned by law. But there's nothing stopping prosecution then putting them in a Supermax like the Shoebomber. In fact, a 2008 Supreme Court case said that Gitmo detainees has right to a trial. But, like so many laws he doesn't like when there might be a political backlash, Obama just said "nah."

Railsplitter is going to vote in the Republican primary and write in "NO TRUMP."