Reid Spokesperson Signals Wiggle Room On Guantanamo
A spokesperson for Harry Reid is signaling some wiggle room on the issue of Guantanamo Bay, opening the door for Reid to possibly support the imprisoning of detainees in America once Obama produces a plan, despite appearing to rule that out yesterday.
Reid’s spokesperson emails that Reid actually opposes the transfer to America “at this time,” adding that when the White House produces a plan, he will “evaluate it carefully and make a judgment at that time.”
Reid made big news yesterday at a press conference yesterday when he appeared to say he could never support the detention of Guantanamo inmates anywhere in America. “You can’t put them in prison unless you release them,” he said. “We will never allow terrorists to be released in the United States.”
Reid’s office later said he hadn’t meant to say that. But as The New York Times put it, Reid had been “unequivocal in insisting that the terrorism suspects never reach American shores.”
So I asked Reid spokesperson Jim Manley if this meant Reid was completely ruling out any future support for this, should Obama’s plan call for it. Manley emailed:
At this time, he opposes transferring detainees to American prisons. If the administration proposes a plan that recommends the transfer of some detainees to American prisons, he will evaluate it carefully and make a judgment at that time. He will always strongly oppose the release of any terrorists onto American streets.
The claim that Reid opposes the transfer “at this time” appears to leave the door open to possibly support it later, as does the promise to evaluate Obama’s plan carefully and “make a judgment at that time.”
It is, of course, unclear whether Reid will ultimately support such a move. But this statement leaves considerably more wiggle room on the issue than yesterday’s did.
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I wonder if it has anything to do with this.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb-Y3DdiKjQ
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Can you say majority leader Dick Durbin? I can!
Spineless jellyfish always wiggle.
OMFG. Harry Reid must be trapped inside the Michelle Bachmann Nebula. Hey, let’s get that space shuttle that’s currently on standby and go rescue him! (Or maybe not…)
Duh. Gitmo is an American prison. The prisoners aren’t there because of the threat they pose. The Cheney-Rove administration put them there on the (John Yoo-like) legal theory that being in Gitmo put them outside the jurisdiction of the federal courts. But SCrOTUS didn’t buy that.
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Hey, I’ve got an idea. Let’s help out Harry Reid and his unemployment-beset electorate by re-purposing Yucca Mountain. Or maybe use it to dispose of Gitmo prisoners and nuclear waste at the same time!
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Off topic but for those of my fellow commenters who watch Morning Joe check out Scarborough contradict himself this morning.
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http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200905200010
I love how Congress requires a plan now but allowed– actually boldly supported– the previous president to wage forever war, setup concentration camps and even institute state-sanctioned torture programs without a single plan or even the slightest bit of Congressional oversight. Amazing really.
Nice video sg. Durbin seems to be behind Obama every step of the way. Right now, we need a Democratic majority leader that isn’t in trouble in their own state and won’t have to play political games to appease his constituents and just say and do what is right.
I’m usually the first to defend Reid, but he dug this hole all by himself. Glad to see he backed off. I like Durbin, but don’t see him challenging Reid at this point. I’m betting this will be the team through 2010.
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@Chris: If I remember correctly, the whole point of this election was to change all that. Nothing ever changes if nobody ever raises the bar. (That said, this Reid thing was a flat-out mistake and climbdown, not really a demand for a plan; I imagine Obama will be gracious and play along.)
**kgb999, true it was meant to change things and as glad as I am to finally see some oversight return to Washington, tying this president’s hands with the previous president’s mistakes is not exactly what I consider encouraging. Change, to me at least, would be closing Gitmo, not keeping it open.
“The claim that Reid opposes the transfer “at this time” appears to leave the door open to possibly support it later, as does the promise to evaluate Obama’s plan carefully and “make a judgment at that time.”
It is, of course, unclear whether Reid will ultimately support such a move. But this statement leaves considerably more wiggle room on the issue than yesterday’s did.”
Holy ****, how about the fallacy of “releasing into american streets”?
Are you people ******* obtuse?
JEBUS, we’re so fucked.
This new boss seems a lot like the old boss – but he gets a pass…
bush – gitmo
obama- gitmo
bush – military tribunals
obama – military tribunals
bush – warrentless wiretaps
obama – warretless wiretaps
bush – predator strikes on civilians
obama – predator strikes on civilians
bush – big deficit
obama – much bigger deficit
bush – against gay marriage
obama – against gay marriage
bush – dont ask dont tell
obama – dont ask dont tell
the list goes on and on – where’s the change we voted for?