WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama plans to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay as early as his first week in office to show a break from the Bush administration's approach to the war on terror, according to two officials close to the transition.
President-elect Barack Obama is expected to sign an order closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
One of the officials said it would be in keeping with Obama's campaign promise to shut down the prison through executive order, a move which was also pushed by last year's Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona.
"The president-elect has repeatedly said the legal framework at Gitmo has failed to successfully and swiftly prosecute terrorists," said one of the officials close to the transition, who was not authorized to speak publicly about private deliberations.
Such a move would reassure those concerned after Obama's recent public comments suggested he may not immediately shut the prison down.
"It is more difficult than I think a lot of people realize and we are going to get it done, but part of the challenge that you have is that you have a bunch of folks that have been detained, many of whom who may be very dangerous who have not been put on trial or have not gone through some adjudication," Obama said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday when asked whether he would close the prison in his first 100 days.
Obama also said he was trying to develop a process that "adheres to rule of law" but "doesn't result in releasing people who are intent on blowing us up."
"I think it's going to take some time and our legal teams are working in consultation with our national security apparatus as we speak, to help design exactly what we need to do," Obama said.
"But I don't want to be ambiguous about this. We are going to close Guantanamo and we are going to make sure that the procedures we set up are ones that abide by our Constitution," he said.
The military prison at Guantanamo Bay is a major issue because for critics of the Bush administration, it has become a symbol of mismanagement and overreach in the war on terror.
At his final White House press conference on Monday, President Bush was asked whether the military prison and harsh interrogation tactics have damaged America's standing in the world.
"I strongly disagree with the assessment that our moral standing has been damaged," Bush said. "It may be damaged amongst some of the elite. But people still understand America stands for freedom; that America is a country that provides such great hope."
Princess Piper is Popular on the Campaign Trail
FANTASTIC early vote going on out there! So exciting for me to see. I've made my rounds in the neighborhoods too...and just wanted to mention to tell everyone you know to do the Texas Blue Step...VOTE BLUE.
ASIDE: Make it real simple and vote a straight democratic ticket. Spread the word. Here's my little photo collection from yesterday.
http://www.downballotblue.com
Visit me at DownBallotBlue!
How to do the Texas Blue Step:
Step 1. Vote Obama
Step 2. Vote Blue
Okay, Texas.....this is it.....starting Monday........ Do NOT let the color RED fool you. This year is THE year to show everyone that our votes matter....for Obama AND our House. Seriously. I do recall our awesomeness during the whole Two Step primary.........um, hence, the evolution and sequel, THE BLUE STEP. Genius. If this doesn't get me an agent, I don't know what will.
More to come on this blog and my site. Stay tuned.....and tell all of your friends....
Rocknroll,
Ballot
Hey Gang!
Just wanted to pass along a thought and please take this in the spirit in which it is intended. I really don’t like the way in which this election is going and I’m sure you feel the same way. In fact, I’m getting sick to my stomach! Republicans are using every under-handed, lying, sneaky trick in the book to win this election and it’s been working. Every time we think we’re ahead, the Republicans throw out another lie, falsehood or attack video and the naïve American voter (of which there seems to be more) eats it up!
Now, they seem to have bullied the national media into turning on Barack Obama by giving Sarah Palin (and her husband) a total free pass on the seemingly un-ending parade of scandals and lies that follows them around every corner. Did they give Barack a free pass? How about Michelle??? Then why are we allowing the Republicans to dictate the ebb and flow of this election and letting them decide what’s off limits and what’s not???
The McCain Campaign have NO SHAME!!! They have commandeered Obama’s message of CHANGE and is now making it seem as if THEY are the ones who will bring change to Washington, even though their party is the one who has screwed it up for the past 8 years…and people are buying it!
I HAVE HAD IT!!! It’s time that we step out of the box and come out swinging! I want the Obama Campaign and the Democratic Party to stop continually being victims of the Republicans and their smear tactics and start fighting back!!! Stop REACTING and start ACTING! Enough of this talk that Joe Biden can’t look like he’s bullying Palin in the Vice Presidential debates, he needs to hit her and hit her hard!!! I’m tired of Obama reprimanding surrogates and calling attacks on Republicans off limits while they constantly pound us with never ending A-bombs! Hit them and hit them hard!!!
This is purely speculation but I honestly believe that Obama feels that if he were to get negative, that he will lose his supporters. Send the Obama campaign a message that we understand that there is a big difference between going negative with lies and going negative with the truth. Republicans have been going negative with lies, Obama has the upper hand in that he can go negative, but with the truth!
Send the Obama campaign a message that we understand his need to remain “above the fray” but we also understand the need to fight back…and he will NOT lose us!!! Obama’s VP, Joe Biden said it best, “sometimes in politics, you have to get down and dirty!” There are less than 60 days until the election, I think it’s about time!
Want More Proof…see Willie Brown’s Interview With CNN Saying That The Democrats Are In Trouble!
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/09/08/intv.brown.democrats.trouble.cnn
or read the San Francisco Chronicle article here…
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/07/BALU12OCMV.DTL
Just my thoughts…
IT’S TIME TO FIGHT BACK!!!
Dee
Dallas, Texas
P.S. Let’s also hit the mainstream national media (specifically, television news outlets)!!! Either they tell us what the Republicans have on them to make them always seem to kowtow and cower at their feet or they start covering Sarah Palin’s scandals (ALL OF THEM) as tough and unyielding as they did with Barack…OR we boycott the whole lot of them!!! We seem to get better political news from the Internet and late night talk shows anyway!
I’ve sent my letters, please send yours…AND PASS IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With prayer in school only a privilege of the wealthy children in private schools, it is no wonder the rate of unwed pregnancies and abortion has risen. Only private school children get to openly pray in school to increase morality and reduce high school drop out as they do not have the stress of being forced to pass state exams. In addition, Choice is only taken advantage of in a few private schools that collect money from the public schools to pay the tuition of children from failing school under the No Child Left Behind Law. If poor people knew that No child Left Behind allowed them to get to pray in school and not have to pass the state exams that they have failed in public school, they would rush to take advantage of this benefit. However, this part of the law is hidden to protect the public school’s control of the funds and to enable them to jail parents when their children have to endure humiliation in school from failing a state mandated test and the children often refuse to attend school to protect their self esteem. We need to have educational equality. Private schools and Home School students can pray, do not take mandated exams, and parents are not jailed when their child has five or more unexcused absences. Parent can not afford to pay for a doctor’s note when a child has a flue that does not require hospitalization and can not get an excused note from a doctor. We need free Health Care so public school children can have proof they are sick when they really are, so their parent will not be fined and jailed. This system is so unequal and against the economically disadvantaged children.
We are united in our desire to protect the unborn. A solution to the dilemma faced by the unwed, unemployed, uneducated pregnant mother is for Christians to advocate that legislation be in place to ensure that the mother will have income from social security to care for the child until 21 years old. This safety net is given to the children of widows so why not extend this protection to ensure the life of the unborn child. Welfare checks are not the answer as that system discourages marriages and often jails the fathers for failing to pay child support even if they are unemployed but desire to work. The jobs are shipped overseas to India, and other foreign countries. The Right to Life Act should be in place that gives a guaranteed social security check to biological mothers only, to raise their child that does not require a government department to oversee or deny the claim every few weeks. This does not include foster parents as children from foster homes almost always report extreme emotional damage as a result of being separated from their biological families.
We need Pro-life legislation in place that provides a safety net for the unborn by giving the mother the income to raise the child safely and lovingly instead of putting pregnant mothers in a position to choose between her safety and the child when there is no income to raise the biological child. Foster care is too emotionally damaging to a parent and a child. Take the effect on the four hundred children in Texas taken from parents simply for exercising their religious beliefs without evidence of child abuse.
© Lillene Ebanks
Okay, I need some help on this! I’m a bit confused by recent stories regarding the alleged plot against Barack Obama.
They found these men, who have been confirmed to have white supremacist ties, driving around Denver in “rented” trucks with rifles (w/scopes), ammunition, ski masks, wigs, walkie-talkies, fake ID’s, bullet proof vests and drugs and the US Attorney comes out with a statement that “We’re absolutely confident there is no "credible" threat to the candidate.” (well of course…don’t we all drive around with these items in our cars every day???) In other reports, one of the men is even reported to having admitted to the plot and gave intimate details of how it would have been carried out.
What troubles me is that I have read several news reports that the most these men may be charged with is some kind of a gun or drug charge, which is basically nothing. If the federal authorities let any of these men out of jail (or give them a light sentence), then something is wrong.
I would hope that many of us would follow this case closely. Let’s not forget that the US Attorney in question (Troy Eid), who is treating this just a little too lightly for my taste, was appointed by President Bush. Just last week his office arrested and brought serious charges against a man for sending a threatening letter to John McCain’s office, but known white supremacists driving around with rifles, ski masks and scopes threatening Obama is NOT credible! Just saying…
D-
Barack's issues regarding faith is based on more than the conservatives abortion and gay marriage. It's based on Matthew 25. for more info use the link...
below...http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11462.html
There are also religous groups that are not falling in line with Dobson and others like Matthew 25 which is christian faith based. To find more info use link below..
http://www.matthew25.org/ad_families.htm
I am very much outraged by this specimen's comments to the effect that John Edwards' deception cost Hillary the nomination.
First of all his accusation is totally false. According to the entrance polls in Iowa, if Edwards was not in the race Obama would have won by 42 percent to Hillary's 24 percent.
Secondly, his flinging mud after the nomination is already wrapped up is a tremendous insult to Hillary Clinton. She has been working hard for Barack, speaking for him, asking her donors to contribute to him, and trying to heal the rift between them. For this "man" to attempt to injure Obama and damage his chances against McCain is the despicable act of a coward trying to deflect the blame from himself.
It was Wolfson's own ignorance and incompetence which hurt Hillary's campaign in the first place. Why did she run out of money? Because of Wolfson's stupidity in wasting millions of dollars on computers, as well as his looting her campaign accounts to pay his own firm for consulting and polls. Both Wolfson and Mark Penn stole from Hillary by paying themselves exorbitant amounts to do the erratic and pitiful jobs they performed for the campaign. I am surprised that Hillary has not sued both of them for fraud.
Since June 3rd Hillary has proven to be a valuable friend and ally to Barack Obama. Those on Hillary's campaign with true talent like Patti Solis Doyle have joined forces with Barack and now work for him. Everyone who really believes in what Hillary believes, that we need a Democrat in the White House, is now on board with Barack.
Thank you to the good people from Hillary's campaign, and to Senator Hillary Clinton, for your support of Barack, and for your love for America!
Robert Lynch
