Guantanamo Debate Has Gone Silent on Capitol Hill

Roll Call:

It was just a year ago that the question of how to close the detention center sparked a furor in Congress, with Democratic leaders demanding direction from President Barack Obama on the placement of the prison's inhabitants: suspected terrorists awaiting trial.

But these days, the issue has been all but forgotten on Capitol Hill, where leading Democrats say other issues have taken precedence and Republicans accuse the president of dropping the ball. In the meantime, the administration has yet to make a strong enough case to lawmakers about sending the detainees to an Illinois state prison as a means to closing the facility -- an Obama campaign pledge.

Read the whole story: Roll Call

Comments

[Michael Valentine]

04:57 PM on 08/11/2010

Gitmo where a confession made by a fifteen year old boy made under threat of death by gang rape was admitted in a military tribunal, is still open.

It's a proud day for America huh?

[jwoww]

03:10 PM on 07/21/2010

everyone screaming and yelling about GITMO I bet if ask the s c u l i m s that will never be released if they'd rather be in Cuba where it is nice and warm, they get yard and rec time or some dungeon in a max security prison where they are locked down 23 hours a day. I'm sure they will side with the GOP on this one.

[auto325805]

04:37 PM on 07/21/2010

It's not the GOP keeping them there - when you look at the actual vote on Barry's requests for the funds to close it - all but I think 4 votes voted to refuse the funds - whole lotta democrats in that

[jwoww]

03:06 PM on 07/21/2010

why should the WH talk abotu GITMO it was closed on Jan 22, 2010 1 year after hesigned the executive order. great job BP .. sorry BO

[dzadzey]

02:43 PM on 07/21/2010

This particular flaming bag of dog pooh the Bush administration left behind also has some of the farthest reaching consequences, especially given the Obama administration's insistence that detainees held by the US at sites other than GITMO have no right to habeas corpus, and that right for GITMO detainees seems tenuous at best.

The whole purpose of GITMO, and these other sites set up by the Bush administration, was to establish an extralegal judicial system which "terrorists" a term very loosely defined under the USA PATRIOT Act could be sent and dealt with outside of US law. A legal black-hole. Where crimes committed in the name of national security could be swept under the rug. Which begs the question of just why the Obama administration refuses to deal with this system in any meaningful way.

[parlimentMike]

03:32 PM on 07/21/2010

There's no question being begged here. This administration has expanded the use of war crimes, affirming everything the Bush administration did, and adding assassination by air.

But let's not misinterpret his campaign promises, when he promised Change, he didn't promise Change for the better.

[auto325805]

04:38 PM on 07/21/2010

-Which begs the question of just why the Obama administration refuses to deal with this system in any meaningful way. -

Barry won Bush's third term...

[SFkid]

02:11 PM on 07/21/2010

There are more important things at hand right now, gitmo is small potatoes compared to what the nation is facing.

[parlimentMike]

03:36 PM on 07/21/2010

Obama supporters have disavowed his entire campaign by saying we heard things he didn't say, as an excuse for not governing at all like he campaigned.

The reason this is important is that this is one promise his camp cannot spin. And like the promises they deny, this is a promise not kept.

[SFkid]

04:35 PM on 07/21/2010

it will be shut down in time.

[auto325805]

04:39 PM on 07/21/2010

not in my lifetime lol

[twninja]

01:35 PM on 07/21/2010

Obama promised us "change", now a lot of people are on the streets asking for "change". But no real "change" is any where in sight.

[kpos101]

12:06 PM on 07/21/2010

but i thought the dear leader was going to close gitmo?

obamamyobama u did not lie to us ?

no,no of course not the chosen one would never lie

[Disdain]

11:23 AM on 07/21/2010

Campaign is over. No need to rehash this old thing.

[Vernie31]

10:46 AM on 07/21/2010

Silence is the first conspirator in any Immoral ACT

[Ramirez]

10:09 AM on 07/21/2010

This was only an issue when Bush was in the WH.

[auto325805]

04:39 PM on 07/21/2010

Just like all those war protests.......where'd they all go?

[TeaLady005]

10:01 AM on 07/21/2010

MSNBC headline January 22, 2009

"Obama ORDERS Gitmo closed"

Looks like his campaign promise is broken and nobody is follwing his "orders"?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28788175/

[publicedukated]

09:29 AM on 07/21/2010

Heckuva job b a rr y.

[Chris3131]

09:12 AM on 07/21/2010

Wasn't this place closed right after Obama took office? Oh, right, that was just another broken promise.

[jdmn17]

09:05 AM on 07/21/2010

Just another example of how truly a figurehead the President's position is without a Congress who is on board. Despite the intent of the Founding Fathers, the Congress is a one headed dragon

[williamclinton]

08:41 AM on 07/21/2010

If Hillary was president she would close the base!

Hillary in 2012

[bthechangeyouseek]

08:56 AM on 07/21/2010

She would do no better with the Senate. There is something very wrong in Congress today that will take a flood (of votes) to clear out.

[williamclinton]

05:14 PM on 07/21/2010

You Republilcans are so negative.....where is the love.

[SFkid]

02:14 PM on 07/21/2010

If Hillary were president, she would fly around on a magic carpet and shoot lighting out of her eyes at all the enemies that face her agenda. Then she would have tea with a pony and a cappy barra, hold the milk, she like two lumps of sugar.