Obama pusses out again

[Vympel]

Young Turks

They're signaling they're going to cave on the civilian trials for the 9/11 suspects and put them in front of military commissions. Such a fucking wuss. Winces like a battered wife whenever the Republicans fucking blink.

(can't be arsed posting a news article, Cenk having a short 2 minute snide-fest on his cowardice is far more amusing)

[hunter5]

And it didn't help many of the general population in the country didn't want to give them civilian trials. The man has watched his popularity drop greatly since he entered office so he is getting worried about the 2012 elections. Typical politician say a bunch of nice things to get elected then drop them once it stops being popular.

[The Original Nex]

There are reports that this is a compromise with Congress to allow the closing of Guantanamo to proceed, which so far has been held up by both parties in Congress.

[Vympel]

There are reports that this is a compromise with Congress to allow the closing of Guantanamo to proceed, which so far has been held up by both parties in Congress.

That doesn't even make sense.

Finally, the political excuse being offered -- that this will help secure votes to fund the closing of Guantanamo -- makes absolutely no sense for several reasons (aside from the fact that it borders on corruption to override the DOJ's decisions about prosecutions based on political horse-trading). As The Post article makes clear, the objections to trying these defendants in a civilian court comes "mainly from Republicans," who only have 41 seats in the Senate. If Republicans want to de-fund the closing of Guantanamo, it will be the GOP -- not the Obama White House -- which will need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster in order to enact that ban (just as Democrats needed 60 votes when they tried to impose limits on the funding of the Iraq War). Funding decisions themselves are not subject to filibuster and require only 50 votes to pass.

The prior decision of the Senate not to fund the closing of that camp was due to the fact that Obama had not yet revealed his plan for closing it, and Senators -- understandably -- did not want to fund something that had not yet even been disclosed. Now that Obama has announced his plan for its closing, very few Democrats have expressed opposition to it or to civilian courts. The claim that reversing Holder's decision will help close Guantanamo is pure fiction. And even if it were true, it raises the question nobody can answer: what is the point of closing Guantanamo if the core Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld system -- military commissions for some and indefinite detention for the rest -- is retained in full by Obama?

For years, Democrats have failed to grasp the fact that they are perceived as "weak" not because of any specific policies, but because they are perceived -- rightly -- to believe in nothing (or at least nothing that they claim to believe). It is hard to imagine any act that could more strongly bolster that perception than to watch Barack Obama -- yet again -- scamper away from his own claimed principles all because the GOP is saying some mean things about him.

Link

Such a simpering wimp ...

[Edi]

There are reports that this is a compromise with Congress to allow the closing of Guantanamo to proceed, which so far has been held up by both parties in Congress.

Never going to happen. He's made that abundantly clear already. If you want more on that, I suggest slogging back through Glenn Greenwald's columns on Salon.com. There's a wealth of material there.

There is no longer any reason to give Obama any benefit of the doubt. He's a spineless sellout on this and many other issues. US conservatives derisively call him President Zero, and it very much seems like the nickname is well deserved, though not for the reasons it was given.

[stormthebeaches]

From what I understand, the GITMO closing was never held up due to funding. It was held up due to the fact that no one knew what to do with the inmates held at there. Better give them a military tribunal than to keep them locked up. Also, its not just 41 Republicans as opposition, but also the blue dog democrats.

[stormthebeaches]

Sorry for the double post the article above is somewhat inaccurate. The reason Obama didn't release the photo's of prisoner abuse to the public is because the Iraqi prime minister urged him not to, saying that the photos would set Iraq ablaze.

[Edi]

Sorry for the double post the article above is somewhat inaccurate. The reason Obama didn't release the photo's of prisoner abuse to the public is because the Iraqi prime minister urged him not to, saying that the photos would set Iraq ablaze.

That was a convenient excuse, nothing more. It's not as if Americans invading the country and killing 600,000 Iraqis already didn't have them mad as all fuck at you.

[Ritterin Sophia]

From what I understand, the GITMO closing was never held up due to funding. It was held up due to the fact that no one knew what to do with the inmates held at there. Better give them a military tribunal than to keep them locked up. Also, its not just 41 Republicans as opposition, but also the blue dog democrats.

I consider the 'blue dogs' as much Democrats as fucking McCain. The majority if not entirety of Blue Dogs come from states of a conservative bent with a large business in some form of unionized work and are lockstep with Republicans, the only reason they call themselves Democrats is because the Democrats are more sympathetic to unions than Repubs and due to this heavy entrenchment in those kind of districts voting Republican is akin to throwing away a perfectly good vote.

[Gil Hamilton]

It occurs to me that John McCain would have served the Republican agenda worse out of incompetence than Obama has through compromising. He's only one year in, but he'd better look down into his trousers and assertain the location of his balls to realize that he WON the election before too long. His Presidency actually was a mandate from the people to do something about the Republican mismanagement of the previous eight years before him, he wouldn't have gotten elected had not the previous administration be so abominable. While I can imagine its hard to detangle all the damage Bush's people did and difficult when the Republican strategy has become obstructionist to the point that if Obama was seen holding a puppy, they'd declare puppies anti-American and possibly treasonous, but seriously, he's going to have a hard second election if he doesn't grab his dick and get to work. After all, that was what he was elected for.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

It occurs to me that John McCain would have served the Republican agenda worse out of incompetence than Obama has through compromising. He's only one year in, but he'd better look down into his trousers and assertain the location of his balls to realize that he WON the election before too long. His Presidency actually was a mandate from the people to do something about the Republican mismanagement of the previous eight years before him, he wouldn't have gotten elected had not the previous administration be so abominable. While I can imagine its hard to detangle all the damage Bush's people did and difficult when the Republican strategy has become obstructionist to the point that if Obama was seen holding a puppy, they'd declare puppies anti-American and possibly treasonous, but seriously, he's going to have a hard second election if he doesn't grab his dick and get to work. After all, that was what he was elected for.

Well, the problem really is the American electoral system. He may have been given a mandate via a direct election, but Congress and the Senate doesn't allow him to do much.

Nevermind of course, the spinelessness of the Democrats which obviously plays into the Republicans' hands.

[Vendetta]

Well, the problem really is the American electoral system. He may have been given a mandate via a direct election, but Congress and the Senate doesn't allow him to do much.

Congress and the Senate were both firmly in Democrat hands at the start of this presidency. And still they are asking the Republicans what they should be doing at every turn.

[Quetzalcoatl]

About this time last year...

This is refreshing to hear, and I respect Obama the more for it. I'm sure the Repugs will see it as a sign of weakness and attack, though.

My respect for this man couldn't possibly grow anymore then this immediate public admission of culpability. Do you EVER remember an American President immediately taking responsibility for any mistakes without being forced to?

All of the comments I've read so far after the story on this page have been overwhelming positive for him based on this very welcome trait that proves the man lacks the arrogance of so many in that position. One person summed it up very nicely:

Don't get me wrong, I still voted for the guy because I thought he was a better choice than McCain.
I assume, Edi, that you've changed your mind?

[Edi]

Yes, I've changed my mind about him. Now I will assume that he will cave in to the conservatives on every issue and simply tell his progressive base to go fuck itself. Everything is business as it used to be under Bush, just with an Obama facade. So there is little reason to assume that he will get anything done or even has the interest to do so. I hope I'll be pleasantly surprised, but I expect things to go to the shitter.

[Big Orange]

Wow, Obama within a relatively short space of time has turned out to be such a major disappointment and a "empty suit" that cannot fix the fundamental problems in the US Government that seem almost terminal. Only 14 months have passed and it's not too late, but I won't be surprised if he gets kicked out like Jimmy Carter did after only one term, and he looks quite worn down already. Also he's still got his hands full with the helthcare reforms.

[stormthebeaches]

That was a convenient excuse, nothing more. It's not as if Americans invading the country and killing 600,000 Iraqis already didn't have them mad as all fuck at you.

And releasing the photos would make them even more angry at you. It would turn the fence sitters into insurgents. The average Iraqi doesn't care that much about torture (it happened under Saddam and it will happen under the Americans) but they do care about public humiliation. They would view a release of the photos as a deliberate attempt to humiliate them and it would drive many of them back into arms.

[Dominus Atheos]

Wow, Obama within a relatively short space of time has turned out to be such a major disappointment and a "empty suit" that cannot fix the fundamental problems in the US Government that seem almost terminal.

He hasn't "turned out" anything. It was obvious as early as the summer of 2008 that this was going to happen. Many people, myself included, predicted everything that's happened. That's why I voted for McCain. At least if McCain had been elected then the republicans would be forced to actually govern instead of saying no to everything. And maybe if Obama had lost the democrats would have learned a lesson about not being huge pussies like Obama was during the campaign.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Voting Republican in Portland is like trying to drain a lake with a Champagne glass.

[ray245]

He hasn't "turned out" anything. It was obvious as early as the summer of 2008 that this was going to happen. Many people, myself included, predicted everything that's happened. That's why I voted for McCain. At least if McCain had been elected then the republicans would be forced to actually govern instead of saying no to everything.

What makes you think that McCain can govern better than Obama?

And maybe if Obama had lost the democrats would have learned a lesson about not being huge pussies like Obama was during the campaign.

Really? Knowing the Democrats, they will try and be even more conservative because they think that they lost the election by being too liberal.

[Dominus Atheos]

He hasn't "turned out" anything. It was obvious as early as the summer of 2008 that this was going to happen. Many people, myself included, predicted everything that's happened. That's why I voted for McCain. At least if McCain had been elected then the republicans would be forced to actually govern instead of saying no to everything.

What makes you think that McCain can govern better than Obama?

I don't think he'd be better, but he couldn't be much worse; especially with the democats controlling both houses of congress. More importantly it would allow us to run someone better in 2012. Now it's going to be 2016 at least until we get another choice of who to run.

And maybe if Obama had lost the democrats would have learned a lesson about not being huge pussies like Obama was during the campaign.

Really? Knowing the Democrats, they will try and be even more conservative because they think that they lost the election by being too liberal.

In hindsight that's definitely possible.

[ray245]

In hindsight that's definitely possible.

Why?

[stormthebeaches]

I don't think he'd be better, but he couldn't be much worse; especially with the democats controlling both houses of congress. More importantly it would allow us to run someone better in 2012. Now it's going to be 2016 at least until we get another choice of who to run.

If McCain was elected I am fairly certain he would take very hostile action towards Russia and Iran. Remember how the Conservatives screamed that Obama was being too quite when the Iranian regime was cracked down after the rigged election? Now imagine if McCain "bomb bomb bomb Iran" was in charge.

I'm not completely happy with Obama and agree that he is acting spineless but he is still a huge improvement over Bush.

[Patrick Degan]

Wow, Obama within a relatively short space of time has turned out to be such a major disappointment and a "empty suit" that cannot fix the fundamental problems in the US Government that seem almost terminal.

He hasn't "turned out" anything. It was obvious as early as the summer of 2008 that this was going to happen. Many people, myself included, predicted everything that's happened. That's why I voted for McCain. At least if McCain had been elected then the republicans would be forced to actually govern instead of saying no to everything.

The problem with Republican "governance" is that it is invariably a formula for wholesale theft of the commonwealth while breaking the structure of government as far as is possible to get away with to make it less, not more, effective. This, to you, would have been better than Obama?

[Alyrium Denryle]

In hindsight that's definitely possible.

Why?

Because the word "liberal" in the united states is basically a curse word. All a republican needs to do is whisper the word Socialist and all the slope-headed reactionaries crawl out of the woodwork like cockroaches and protest. This has shifted the political discourse in the united states and created a sort of "This is a center right nation" paradigm, where the democrats try to compete by reducing the differences between them and the republicans to sway "independent" (read: the most stupid motherfuckers alive) mindless middle voters. The conservatives radicalize more and the whole thing starts over.

[ray245]

In hindsight that's definitely possible.

Why?

Because the word "liberal" in the united states is basically a curse word. All a republican needs to do is whisper the word Socialist and all the slope-headed reactionaries crawl out of the woodwork like cockroaches and protest. This has shifted the political discourse in the united states and created a sort of "This is a center right nation" paradigm, where the democrats try to compete by reducing the differences between them and the republicans to sway "independent" (read: the most stupid motherfuckers alive) mindless middle voters. The conservatives radicalize more and the whole thing starts over.

Yes, but I am asking why DA think that the democrats losing in 2008 will result in the Democrats being more liberal.