Reid: Obama Speech Opens Way For Gitmo Closure Discussion

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday he was open to discussing with President Obama the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay and the relocation of detainees.

That discussion will include the possible relocation of detainees to the United States to stand trial and, if convicted, be sent to prison. But Reid did not back off his previously stated opposition to such a transfer, stopping short at a willingness to talk about it.

First, said Reid, Congress needs to see a detailed plan.

"Many Americans have had concerns about terrorists coming into our communities. We received today a broad vision from President Obama and that's important that he did that. We're all awaiting the details of his plan. And he's going to come up with one," said Reid. "We're wanting and willing to work with him to come up with a responsible solution."

Pressed as to whether he'd allow the relocation of prisoners to the United States, he said, "I think I've answered the question." Reid is up for reelection in 2010.

Reid spokesman Jim Manley said after the press conference that Obama's speech Thursday on the military prison opened a path for negotiations. "Senator Reid still has the same concerns today as he did earlier in the week in that we need to do what we can to keep America safe while the administration works through these incredibly complex set of issues. But the president just put out his vision of how to move forward with this issue and he asked the Congress to work with him as a commander in chief. Reid is anxious to work with President Obama on this issue while awaiting the full details of the plan," he said.

Reid was asked if Obama's speech changed the "legislative game" and replied that it did not. Manley said Reid was only referring to the war supplemental spending bill Congress is near passing. That bill will not include funding to close Guantanamo.

On MSNBC Thursday, White House senior adviser David Axelrod appeared to give some ground on relocating detainees to the United States. "These other terrorists are imprisoned on U.S. soil. I don't know why we would treat this differently, but these are issues that we have to work through in the coming weeks," he said.

The mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Omar Abdel-Rahman -- known as the "blind sheik" -- and other convicted terrorists have long been held in U.S. prisons. So far, the blind sheik has somehow been unable to break out of prison.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) appeared at the same press conference as Reid and went further than the Majority Leader, saying that he didn't oppose trying Guantanamo detainees in New York federal court. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said after the briefing the he, too, was fine with relocating detainees to the U.S. for trial or incarceration. Durbin and Schumer are Reid's top two lieutenants.

"The bottom line is we have had terrorists housed in New York before, they've been housed safely, the blind sheik for a very long time," said Schumer. "The main concern is bringing these terrorists to justice and making sure the public is safe and we have faith the administration will do both."

Ryan Grim is the author of the forthcoming book This Is Your Country On Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America

Comments

[Durango]

Hey Harry! How do you like being Senate Majority Leader?

Hey Democratic Senators? How do you like being Committee Chairmen? How do you like getting YOUR Pork passed first?

Because if you don't grow a pair soon you will no longer be the Majority Party.

What part of supporting your President is hard to understand? What part of buying into a phony Republican narrative is confusing to you?

The "We can't have terrorists in our prisons" is as stupid a talking point as being against Empathy.

Don't you realize that attacking Bush/Cheney and EVERYTHING they did and everything they stand for is good politics?

No that's wrong. It is GREAT POLITICS. It is the way to assure a Democratically controlled government for the next two generations. There is no " downside" to it.

Instead you act like frightened curs with your tails between your legs scared because the Republicans will call you "soft on Terror."

You are absolutely pathetic.

And if you keep falling for the Republican tricks you will soon find yourself out of power.Whic­h you will deserve.

[EZD]

Here, here... damn I could not have said it better.

[research]

YES!

It is so hard to watch the DLC dem DINO's fatally missing this opportunity for true liberal change.

[spandautoseattle]

A good answer to this whole misery is to make, already upfront, absolutely clear that it is one's intention to vote as many progressives into the House of Representatives next year as humanly possible.
As a counterbalance to what is happening in the Senate the People have to be represented by their own "champions" who will deliver legislative to the Senate that has the full backing of the constituency, and can not be scoffed at by the likes of Sen Reid.
There is not only one branch that makes the government, but several, and through the House the People can influence the decisions of the unfortunately bloodless 'noblesse'. It only takes a while.
As for the Senate majority leader (!), good riddance.

[beudrep]

HE needs to leave the PARTY>in 2010

[BambooHarvester]

Harry Reid is as useless as teats on a Bull ! ~

[jazzybo]

I think we are all up for discussing Harry Reids retierment.

[ldcbl]

why oh why oh why oh why is harry reid still the majority leader. hge is spineless, wishywashy and useless to the democratic agenda. someone must have an an answer.

[Osusuki]

When are the Democrats in Congress going to realize that this President is smarter than they are when it comes to actually achieving the party's goals in a hostile environment? Come to think of it, when is that spineless fool Reid going to realize the environment isn't so hostile anymore? I hear this go along/get along bag of horse apples way too much in a year where we have the same party controlling both houses of congress and the white house. Democrats need to take a few of their number--most notably Reid and that bought-and-paid-for DINO Evan Bayh--to the school house for a lecture on party unity and what it means for America when the supposedly good guys cave to moneyed interests.

[CitizenT]

"Many Americans have had concerns about terrorists coming into our communitie­s." So Harry Reid is the Senator for the nation's supermax prisons? Because I'm pretty sure those are the only communities the detainees will be coming in to.

[Rog49Thomas]

Time to add another chapter to "Profiles in Courage" - Harry Reid Man of Steel.

[Mike4Obama]

Too late Reid you coward. RNC has already capitalized on your lack of leadership in the Senate by going after Obama based off of your wavering support.

Way to stand by your leader.

[Durango]

Based on transparent Republican stupidity.

The Dems have the Republican Party down for the count.

No they are letting them back into the fight by acts of their own abject ignorance.

[menukjau]

They just sent that psycho killer who massacred an innocent Iraqi family, for life in prisonment instead of death penalty. American hypocrisy, no wonder others hate us. Close the bloody Guantanamo.

[Diplomacy]

Time for a Primary challenger to Harry Reid of NV. He has consistently demonstrated he is not up to the job as Senate Majority Leader. You are going down to DEFEAT, Mr. Reid. Either a Primary challenge or the Democrats will lose the Senate seat in the great state of Nevada in 2010. You lack lustre performance is pathetic.

[Durango]

I don't think you get it.

Harry Reid is the Senate leader because he does represent the Senate Democrats. He is doing what they want him to do.

If you replace Harry you still have the other 59 Senators who voted him into that position.

I fear for the life of our great country with such fools in charge.

i thought the time of abject stupidity passing for political discourse had ended last November. I fear I was very badly mistaken.

[dagdavid]

Harry Reid has shown a frightening lack of spine when it comes to taking on the Republican fear machine. We need strength in the majority leader to push through an agenda mandated by the voters. We also need some dems to encourage president Obama to go much further than he seems willing to go.

[vesaversa1]

The Democrat have always found away to muck thier good thing up,President Obama popularity gave them a morjority in congress for the first time in 16 years and they can't seam to show any support for the man who got them there .I personally think many of these weak democrats will lose thier seats in 2010 because of it

[PlayTOE]

Giving up at the first opportunity is hardly a winning strategy.
And going back to republican would be stupidity. ... sort of like cutting off your hand because of a sore finger.

But perhaps we will see a GREEN party member actually elected.

[Johnniedog]

Harry Reid should be replaced with a real leader. I think Reid is the worst Majority Leader we have ever had. He is obviously a Coward and a misguided, isolated from the public, been there too long, Senator. He never seems to be able to lead Dems on the real issues and he always gives in when there is no need to. This guy reverses himself on every-other issue. He also seems to be on the wrong side of most of the issues that concern the American public. I believe Harry Reid is going to cause the Democrats to lose in 2010 because he does not have any Balls or Backbone or even the aptitude to understand he is in the Majority now. He still acts as if he is the MINORITY Leader. He just seems to be lost all of the time!!!

[TheImpaler]

Reid didn't elect himself to be the leader. The problem in a senate is that it lacks fire-breading liberals like Wellstone. I honestly think that Franken would be great for that body, from a liberal point of view, unfortunately, that's why he is not getting a lot of support.

[MissingAmerica]

For too long we have grabbed these people and detained them with no proof, no rights and no sense of humanity. Contrary to what Cheney says, "enhanced interrogation" does little. I figure if someone were waterboarding me or torturing me in other ways, I'd probably say what they wanted to hear simply out of fear for my life. Other people are no different.

If they are to be held, it is time to do so humanely. By at least imprisoning them in our own facilities under our own laws, we are displaying some sense of that humanity that made this country great. Perhaps if we return to that revered decency in this country, the rest of the world will not see us as the terrorist nation we became under Bush & Cheney.