The Democrats in Congress are their own worst enemy, and should be locked up. Whenever it appears that Republicans might self-destruct, the Democrats try to do it first.

Behind the national security smokescreen, this is NIMBY politics at its worst.

It's not only frustrating, it's disgusting. What's with the Dem Congressional leadership? Nonexistent?

All it takes is a little creativity Steve. Keep it up.

If Democrats have proof that the nation's prisons are incapable of housing 241 suspected bad guys, or have evidence that these guards who protect us from the bad guys are untrustworthy, they should offer it. Otherwise, they should apologize to the wardens, guards, and security teams, who do important work day in and day out, and who've just been insulted.

I loved this. Why does it always seem to be the right wingers who are demanding that their opponents apologize for something that someone said that the right wingers have determined was an insult to some third party?

Dems don't do demagoguery well, and they know it, and they're scared that at any moment GOP scare tactics will start working again. They're garden-variety gutless wonders.

Don't sell yourself short Mr. Benen, you appear to be quite gifted in the art of political nuance. I'd issue the list of talking points to your local congressperson, though I'd personally leave the first off the list. 535 to 1 does sound like they'd at least have the potential to know better, though most people would probably disagree. Matter of fact, I think I'll do that myself. (In honor of Maureen Dowd and Adrian Wooldridge I'll attribute it to you)

'I agree with all of this, but it got me thinking about how this debate would go if the situations were reversed, and it was a Republican president trying to close the detention facility and it was (primarily) Democrats engaged in silly demagoguery. What would Hannity, Limbaugh, and GOP leaders on the Hill be saying under those circumstances?"

If that Republican president had made a campaign promise to close that detention facility, signed an executive order his first day in office closing said facility a year down the road and yet, four months into his administration still has not come up with a plan to deal with the detentees who have to stay in US custody, my guess is that Rush and Hannity, et al., would call that Republican president an idiot, just like Obama has been exposed as being on this issue.

Anyone care to bet on whether Obama will do a 180 and keep Gitmo open because there are no other alternatives available to him?

I can only think that the Dems are so scared because they underestimate the intelligence of the American people just like the GOP does. They must really think that we are too stupid to understand that we are more than capable of keeping criminals under lock and key. Dems would do well to get out of the beltway and come take a look around the country. Maybe then they would understand that they have way more support than they think.

Please bring every last detainee to Ohio. The money spent to house these people will be a boon to the state economy. Sheesh what are these dillweeds afraid of? All these gun totin good ole boy republicans should be salivating at the chance for one of those evil terrorist to escape in their backyard. They could shoot them instead of their buddie's faces.

Gonna wash that sickness right out my hair!

Your post a few days ago about Barack's backsliding on the Abu Ghraib photos showed you still had a pulse.

This post shows you lifting yourself out of your sick bed and walking to the shower...

We will know the hot water is running when you start posting about Treasury's problems with revolving doors...

At times like this, I am reminded why I never joined or affilitated myself with the Democratic party. Not enough focused commitment, not enough political tenacity, not enough engagement for the just course of action.

I've been at odds with my party for the past 15 years, but I've had no incentive to join the other side of the aisle because time and again I have witnessed Democrats prepondering the utter disintegration of anything that would resemble political will! -Kevo

Chicounsel - I'll take that bet. You complain that in 4 mos nothing has been done but we can all see that Obama has had a lot on his plate, so 4 mos is not never. He promised in a year and I believe him.

A lot has happened in 4 mos though, mainly in organization. We actually have established files on each of the detainee where none were before. Rather than everyone being globbed together under one category the detainees have been sorted out - fairly. We are down to only 13 facing military tribunals who now have decent human rights framing their trials.

The GOP has been successful at trying to scare the nation into believing that the US cannot handle them in our max prisons even though we already house such criminals.

If any one is listening -- please build a supermax prison here in Hammond, Indiana. We would be happy for the jobs. And if any of the "terrorist" would escape - the good old boys around these parts would be happy to find them.

This post is way off. This is something the right wing base would go nuts on for a Republican president too. Just like the Dubai ports thing.

Fear of terrorists and other Muslims would trump fealty to the party every time.

Koreyel, what ever happened to you? You were all flowery and doe-eyed over Obama, and walla, suddenly you're Glenn Beck. I don't get it.

Oh wait. You getting paid? OK then.

Obama should use the speech to repeat that Guantanamo WILL be closed, that the detainees WILL be imprisoned, and that if Congress doesn't like it, they can impeach him.
He has to teach the Democrats to fear him more than they do Republicans.

I have to agree with some of the posters taking issue with your supposition of a Republican president closing Gitmo. All you have to do is see Republicans apologizing to Limbaugh everytime they display the slightest bit of sanity to realize that Limbaugh, Hannity et al owe allegiance only to their own warped views and would not hesitate to go after any Republican who had the temerity to disagree. Obama has shown real reluctance to stick to his guns not in the face of the Republican noise machine, but in the face of chatter from his own party. Smart politics, but not exactly smart leadership. the fact is that those Democrats do not have much faith in Americans--they fear being voted out of office because they lock up a couple of hundred dangerous (allegedly) guys on the U.S. mainland and Obama goes along because he does not need Republicans but does need to keep the Democrats together.

It shows just how out of touch Congress is. State and federal prisons are among the most brutal in the world. Those detainees will run to get back to Guantanamo when they are released into the general prison population.

Good post Steve...good talking points. Wish all Americans could read this.

Koreyel, what ever happened to you?

You got to fight to keep people honest. Doesn't matter what party they are from. Power corrupts deeply even the most sweetest bud. Or something like that...

But for the record:

Barack is still 10^google times better than McInsanity. I can't imagine where we would be if he had won. Let's leave that alternative universe to dystopian sci fi writers. But... if you think Obama wants us to roll over, play dead, and cheerlead, then you are guilty of all three...

The best way to respect the new president is to question his motives at every turn. Keep him honest.

Look, Democrats need to do a better job framing this in the media: the only reason Gitmo existed in the first place is because Bush and (primarily) Cheney and Rumsfeld wanted a place away from US soil where they could indefinitely detain and torture people rounded up in Afghanistan. If those prisoners are transferred to Leavenworth or Charleston brig or the Supermax facility in CO, then it just becomes yet another glaring example of the Bush administration's contempt for the rule of law and American values. And Republicans want to avoid that reckoning at all costs.

K: 'Keeping him honest' and mimicking the wailing sounds of Republicans are not the same, so could you please try to tamp down the daily hysteria and work at developing a little patience? Thanks.

Nice work, Mr. Benen. You have connections to lotsa staffers, yes? Send this post to all of 'em, tied w/ a ribbon. And I want to add one thing: I think here we're seeing yet more evidence of the pernicious effects of dismal Senate leadership (Pelosi too, but much less so). Harry Reid may be a good man, he may be a reliable legislator, but his piss poor 'leadership' has pernicious negative effects. He is the weak link in the chain, the one who sets/allows a knock-kneed, ass covering tone for the entire caucus. His whole 'tough guy' routine is patent bullshit; the guy is a pussy, pure and simple, a backbencher at best. And to answer someone upthread, I disagree that Benen's talking points are demagoguery. These points are in fact true. If they're delivered so as to draw a little blood, well, so much the better. This is politics, not hopscotch.