Proof That Republicans Stopped The Closing Of Gitmo
Via Karoli at Crooks and Liars, Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas vowed to keep prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. The Hill reports that Roberts said he’d “shut down the Senate” if President Obama closed the facility.
[su_center_ad]
“I stopped him once from trying to send a Gitmo terrorist to Leavenworth. I shall do it again, I shall do it again and if he tries it again I will shut down the Senate,” Roberts said, referring to the military prison located sixty miles east of his campaign headquarters in Topeka where he spoke to campaign volunteers.
Roberts made a similar threat back in 2009, when Obama originally signaled he wanted to relocate detainees to the United States. At the time, the disciplinary barracks at Fort Leavenworth, as well as a maximum-security prison in Obama’s home state of Illinois were being considered to house the prisoners.
Roberts told reporters that he would hold the Senate floor for hours on end if necessary to stop Obama.
“We’re going to bring 179 terrorists to the United States including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed?” Roberts said, referring to the detainee accused of masterminding the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“Once you get control of the floor you just don’t leave it. Ted Cruz did that with regard to ObamaCare. If necessary, I’ll do it with terrorists,” he said.
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who is traveling through the state this week on Roberts’s campaign bus, said he would join the filibuster. Roberts predicted he would have broad support from his colleagues.
“I will have help on this. I can see John McCain there and I can see Lindsey Graham there and I can see Kelly Ayotte there and I can see a whole bunch of other people there,” Roberts said.[su_csky_ad]
arc99 October 11th, 2014 at 10:38 am
Naturally, this story will not prevent the GOP’s low-information far right base from continuing to blame the President.
The irony is that right wingers don’t want Guantanomo closed.
But they let no opportunity to bash the President go to waste, even if it means criticizing him for failing to do something they don’t want him to do anyway.
Bunch of intellectually bankrupt hypocrites.
Spirit of America October 11th, 2014 at 4:24 pm
Here’s my take on it arc99,
they don’t ‘blame’ POTUS for not closing gitmo(least I haven’t seen where they say not closing is his fault), they peg on him the broken promise part. This was actually a classic case of win-win for the repubs in the propaganda part:
1. POTUS campaigned/promised to close gitmo
2. repubs made/make that an impossible feat
3. repubs get to:
–A. Keep gitmo open
–B. Point to a broken promise
Then I got to thinking “what a beautiful chess move, who thought of it?”…
That’s when I realized it must have been a ‘gift from the gods’ cause I haven’t found anyone in repub leadership able to think that far in advance…
Carla Akins October 11th, 2014 at 4:45 pm
I agree completely. What I don’t really get, is what do they think is going to happen – in the future? Do they plan on keeping these men forever, without ever laying a charge? FFS, this is the US of A – we don’t act like this, it’s beneath us. Like far too many other “embarrassing” acts, we need to acknowledge our responsibility and move forward learning from this debacle.
raincheck October 11th, 2014 at 5:03 pm
“we need to acknowledge our responsibility and move forward learning from this debacle”
Now THAT is what I call the true “Spirit of America”
I’ve read many of your posts and I can ALWAYS count on you being the voice of reason….
Carla Akins October 11th, 2014 at 5:17 pm
Ah, thanks. I think I’m just like most people – middle of the road.
Spirit of America October 11th, 2014 at 8:24 pm
“is what do they think is going to happen – in the future?”
No one has thought that far ahead to tell you the truth. This ‘war on terror’ is a brand new thing in its scope. At the setup of gitmo, it was thought to be all military trials, sentence and then repatriate. There literally is no long-term plan even forwarded…
Carla Akins October 11th, 2014 at 9:34 pm
That is how I understood it as well. I find this scary as hell – why aren’t our elected officials concerned.
StoneyCurtisll October 11th, 2014 at 4:46 pm
Bingo.
Carla Akins October 11th, 2014 at 10:39 am
I rarely see commercials, but I watched the game last night in real time so my evening was filled with ads for the Kansas Senate race. Based on the gazillion ads I saw, I thought Roberts was running against Obama not Orman.
Larry Schmitt October 11th, 2014 at 12:08 pm
All Republicans are running against Obama.
raincheck October 11th, 2014 at 4:35 pm
And a few Demorats too
Spirit of America October 11th, 2014 at 2:29 pm
Very common tactic w/an unpopular pres. Remember Obama’s add when running ’08 was ‘a vote for McCain is a vote for another 4 years of Bush’. Tip may have said all politics are local, but last 6-8 cycles statewide have went national as well.
StoneyCurtisll October 11th, 2014 at 3:47 pm
Thats how they, (republicans) are branding it…
“A vote for my opponent is just another vote for the Kenyan usurper Obama”..
They are not running on any ideas or plans to improve things..
Carla Akins October 11th, 2014 at 4:59 pm
Why improve anything, KS is glorious – just ask Sam. Evidently his opponent is too bust hanging out in strip clubs…..I’m glad I live on this side of the line.
StoneyCurtisll October 11th, 2014 at 5:40 pm
Right On~!
I can hit Kansas with a rock..(from my front porch)
But I prefer to keep our rocks where they belong..:)
Carla Akins October 11th, 2014 at 5:48 pm
I’m not that close, I could throw a rock and hit the stadium. I could go full Palin and say I can see it from my house. 🙂
StoneyCurtisll October 12th, 2014 at 4:06 pm
I have a good feeling the Royals stadium is going to be getting a lot of TV coverage in the following weeks~!
3 more wins in this ALCS series and we are on the The World Series..
I was really happy to see us win again Saturday night~!
Carla Akins October 12th, 2014 at 4:42 pm
I was a nervous wreck! I am a huge sports fan, I can’t help myself. It’s nice to see a decent group of young athletes committed to their team and family. These guys are actually friends –
StoneyCurtisll October 12th, 2014 at 5:37 pm
I have a good feeling these guys are going all the way~!
I was only 23 last time we won the world series..(only time)
I still wont be disappointed if we dont win the World series or make it there..
just getting this close is more than I have seen in years..:)
Carla Akins October 12th, 2014 at 6:40 pm
I am right there with you, I was 24( and pregnant) when they won in 1985. The city could use the economic gain, but like you I’ll be happy with their performance no matter how far they go.
StoneyCurtisll October 13th, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Lets hope the rain today doesn’t put a jinx on our winning streak~!
Carla Akins October 13th, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Have you seen this:
StoneyCurtisll October 13th, 2014 at 7:09 pm
What a great bunch of guys we have,
Tossing balls and playin catch with the kids in Baltimore..
They are a class act for sure..
I remember the old days, way back when the stadium was at 18th and Brooklyn, saw my first ball game there..(circa 1968)
Way back when the team was the KC Athletics.
And Charlie Finley was the owner.
StoneyCurtisll October 11th, 2014 at 5:44 pm
Sam wants to “hit the throttle” on his policies..(as seen on TV)..
Like ya said..
I’m glad I live on this side of of the border~!
searambler October 11th, 2014 at 11:24 pm
They’re doing that all over the country. I think they’re afraid Obama will run for a third term…
uzza October 11th, 2014 at 11:19 am
— Pat Roberts, Al Queda, recruiting dept.
StoneyCurtisll October 11th, 2014 at 3:44 pm
Good news on Pat Roberts..(good for us, bad for Pat)
Looks like he has a really good chance of losing his bid for another term as a US Senator from Kansas..
He has been there since 1997..
And despite the effort to keep a democratic name on the ballot by KS Secretary of State Kris (i hate brown people) Kobach, Looks like an independent just might win in November~1
jasperjava October 11th, 2014 at 11:39 am
We needed proof? I thought it was common knowledge.
Spirit of America October 11th, 2014 at 2:26 pm
LOL, I was going to write ‘the obvious’ myself when I read yours. I’ll just Up vote yours and add:
but they never hid the fact they didn’t want it closed far as I could tell.
Red Eye Robot October 11th, 2014 at 11:45 am
Thank you Alan, thank you for confirming the republicans have no actual constitutional authority to prevent Obama from closing Gitmo
Dwendt44 October 11th, 2014 at 12:17 pm
Willful ignorance doesn’t become you.
jasperjava October 11th, 2014 at 2:41 pm
Willful ignorance is what Red Eye Robot does best.
StoneyCurtisll October 11th, 2014 at 3:38 pm
But he does make a good punching bag..:)
tiredoftea October 11th, 2014 at 3:57 pm
But, it does define it.
William October 11th, 2014 at 12:50 pm
….” republicans have no actual constitutional authority to prevent Obama from closing Gitmo” No but they do hold the purse strings..
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/8/congress-deals-death-blow-gitmo-closure/
StoneyCurtisll October 11th, 2014 at 3:37 pm
Actually the President does have the authority..
it’s called Executive Authority/Action…
I know you “Bots” will try to have it both ways..
Either the president lied about “closing down Gitmo”..
Or he has overstepped his authority by doing so, (despite the machinations of right wingers in congress) who have conspired against him to do anything.
Right or wrong.
KABoink_after_wingnut_hacker October 11th, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Asshats like this would be falling all over themselves to close Gitmo if President Obama said he wanted to keep it open.
StoneyCurtisll October 11th, 2014 at 3:31 pm
Exactly…
StoneyCurtisll October 11th, 2014 at 3:28 pm
I’m sorry but…
I didn’t need proof to know that it was Republicans who shut down the effort to get rid of Gitmo..
I watched them fight it in real time as they freaked out over possibly having ‘terrorist” in their maximum security prisons in their states..(as if they didn’t already have them) and becoming possible “targets” for future imagined attacks..
Of course they argued about the cost of security about the subsequent trials also.
Then there was the right wing freakout over bringing these ‘gitmo guys” to trial in US Federal Courts..
Some said they might be “released into the population” (gasp) if found “not guilty” due to some technicality like tortured into a confession or lack of evidence for a trial..
The right wing is so paranoid they will do anything to circumvent the law and constitutional rights that everyone accused of a crime in the US is afforded.
searambler October 11th, 2014 at 11:20 pm
“Once you get control of the floor you just don’t leave it. Ted Cruz did that with regard to ObamaCare.”
Ummm, Pat? You might wanna check with ol’ Rafael there on exactly what he accomplished with his useless little publicity stunt, before trying to emulate it yourself…..
prettymeadow October 12th, 2014 at 5:19 am
Old news. They passed a bill wherein an attachment clearly stated that Obama couldn’t use taxpayer money to transfer prisoners anywhere, a long time ago.