Obama: I will close Guantanamo, reject torture without exception and end spying on Americans

[Echotrail]

I posed a question to Sen. Obama regarding the latest Supreme Court ruling on habeas and what he will do regarding Guantanamo....His response tickled me!

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me in support of core constitutional principles, such as support for basic civil liberties and opposition to torture and indefinite imprisonment. I strongly agree with these views and you can see that in my record. As a constitutional lawyer, law professor and public servant, I have been clear, consistent and outspoken in defense of these core principles. And I will work hard to restore our constitutional traditions as president.

This Administration has put forward a false choice between the liberties we cherish and the security we demand. When I am president, there will be no more illegal wire-tapping of American citizens. No more national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime. No more tracking citizens who do nothing more than protest a misguided war. Our Constitution works, and so does the FISA court. By working with Congress and respecting our courts, I will provide our intelligence and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to track and take out the terrorists without undermining our Constitution and our freedom.

My Administration will once again show the world that we are not a country that ships prisoners in the dead of night to be tortured in far off countries. That we are not a country that runs prisons which lock people away without ever telling them why they are there or what they are charged with. When I am President, America will reject torture without exception. I will also reject indefinite imprisonment without trial and close Guantanamo, reject the Military Commissions Act, and adhere to the Geneva Conventions.

Our Constitution is not a nuisance. It is the foundation of our democracy. I will continue to fight against the assault on our nation’s most treasured document.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

[Imagevision]

1. And then order Karl Rove to appear under oath and transcripted...!

[NewJeffCT]

38. I wish, but

Rove, and all other Sr. Bush officials, will be given a blanket pardon for any crimes they may have committed, and then they'll use the media to spin it as preventing a partisan witch hunt and to make sure we're looking forward and not rehashing history.

[DissedByBush]

59. Patriot Act

So why did he cosponsor extending the sunset on most provisions of the unconstitutional Patriot Act?

[joneschick]

2. K&R

Everyone should see this. It gives me hope. Maybe I will get out of bed today. :hi:

[Echotrail]

9. LOL. I know that feeling

In fact, it's been a recurring pattern since 11/04.

Now I'm starting to sense a little sunshine again. :hi:

[merh]

3. Now see, reading this makes me cry

hope and promise - restore our nation, heal our nation.

It has been so long since someone said these things and I have believed them, I believe Obama.

[Echotrail]

4. I had the same reaction, merh

There was no pussy-footing around in this statement.

When is the last time we've heard that from a candidate?
:hi:

[NJCher]

80. me three

I wanted to hug Obama when I heard this.

I heard an interview on the radio about why people from other countries support Obama. It was because they thought him the candidate most likely to restore American values like these.



Cher

[Echotrail]

88. kicking your comment

:)

[SeaLyons]

5. This makes me happy too...

the fact that Bush and his administration have been allowed to get away (so far) with such blatant war crimes and disregard for the Constitution is incomprehensible.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/18/gitmo.detainees/index.html

We must win in November.

[Echotrail]

We must and we will!

And when we face the final obstacle like Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004 we will not give up!!

[SeaLyons]

11. Never give up!!!

[pinto]

6. Great answer. To the point.

"Our Constitution is not a nuisance."

:kick:

[Echotrail]

7. It's so nice to see a direct answer for a change

:)

[rox63]

8. That's the most patriotic thing I've read in a long time

:patriot:

[Echotrail]

14. Yup. And he's not afraid to go on the record.

:)

[blondeatlast]

10. Courage and ethics! That's what the world needs! K&R nt

[TexasObserver]

12. Obama GETS IT!!

I am so impressed with his range of knowledge and depth of wisdom.

[hardbop]

13. This is a bold stance...

but politically dangerous. Its a very dirty war, this War on Terror. Sometimes you have to play dirty to get results.

He cannot appear to be weak or to underestimate how determined Islamic radicals are to see our doom.

[Echotrail]

16. I don't think it makes him appear weak

just the opposite!

[blondeatlast]

17. That's the definition of political courage.

I agree; he's risking popularity for the kind of values america should represent. I think it's wonderful.

[libnnc]

19. It is an American stance and it is NOT "dangerous".n/t

[rox63]

23. Your concern has been noted

:eyes:

[hardbop]

24. Heh! I knew that was coming ...:)

But really, I stated before that I am an independent that leans towards the democratic side (voted for Perot then Clinton). Sometimes its helpful to have me here to know how things might play in the "undecided" camp.

I am with Barack till the end, though, trust me!!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

36. Perot, eh?

Boy, that must be embarassing.

[stillcool]

32. the 'war on terror'

is the war on the American people. And the American people are losing the war. I read that Americans are crossing the border to Mexico to buy all kinds of things..drugs, health-care, gas etc., and that farms are even moving to Mexico in order to survive. It will be funny when Americans have to cross the border illegally to get a job in Mexico. I wonder how they will be treated.

[LSK]

46. as an independent, you SHOULD watch this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=141369&mesg_id=141369

[Indenturedebtor]

49. He's said a great deal of "politically dangerous" things throughout his campaign

That's what qualifies him to lead this country! And frankly I think that his honesty is a major reason why he enjoys so much support.

Most of the people that we are torturing are NOT terrorists. And we cannot torture even terrorists.

The Nazis were determined to see our doom as well.

Let me put this another way - Cowardice is no excuse for acting like Nazis.

[Cha]

53. Don't worry about it.

It's the bushites and mccains who are weaklings.

[Danger Mouse]

56. Ah, aren't you the 'gay marriage is unnatrual' bigot? How's that granite pizza taste?

Yummy-yummy?

[Hippo_Tron]

58. Repeat after me: TORTURE DOES NOT WORK

http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/news/2008/080213-state-of-the-art.htm

[diane in sf]

65. Islamic radicals are dangerous, but not as dangerous as Bushco is to our continued

freedom.

[Jim Sagle]

67. Frank Gaffney, we hardly knew ye.

[iconicgnom]

68. Obama's stance is as "dangerous" as the US constitution.

Of course torture is torture, however one capitalizes "this War on Terror". And of course torture is "dirty" - so the US extension of "the War on Terror" to Iraq is dirty.

But "torture" isn't all of it, by a long shot. Recall that Iraq had no part of "9/11". As justification "9/11" gives only a very weak association since Osama (currently dead or reclining at leasure behind bin Laden palace walls in Saudi Arabia, or both) detested Saddam. Since all the purported facts that the US administration used to portray the immediacy of an immanent threat turned out to be flat out fabrications, and "9/11" is a very remote association - one has to wonder whether "the War on Terror" as currently conducted consists of anything but "dirt". I mean "dirt" in a moral sense, "dirt" so low as being not even sufficient to make a sow's ear, to say nothing of a silk purse.

[Nostradammit]

75. Yeah, they're super-pissed at us now

after five years of blowing them up in their own beds they're kind of sore at us.

This dirty War on Terror slimes everyone who takes part.

Maybe we should quit it.

[pocoloco]

82. Which do you think pose the greatest threat to America,

Islamic radicals or the Christian ones?

just wondering

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

83. and what results have we gotten so far?

is bin Laden captured? No. Are the Taliban cowed in Afghanistan? No. Has al Qaeda spread since Bush inaugurated his illegal war against Iraq? Yes. Have Bush's actions, and the harsh words of neo-cons actually aided and abetted the Wahhabist fundamentalists in their very real war against moderate and progressive Muslims? YES.

[mzmolly]

15. What? No parsing words?!

What the heck is wrong with this man?! ;)

[bonito]

18. K&R!

[invictus]

20. K&R!

[paparush]

21. REFRESHING!! nt

[Echotrail]

27. Exactly what we should hear from a constitutional lawyer

The fear-mongering political hacks on the Supreme Court should be ASHAMED. Their strongest words of dissention against the majority ruling were meant to make Americans fearful. Scalia even said it could mean the destruction of an American city! The Constitution was designed to protect us from ideologues like him.

[Overseas]

22. Glad to hear it !! /nt

[blondeatlast]

25. "Our Constitution is not a nuisance. It is the foundation of our democracy. "

:wow:

YES!

[blondeatlast]

26. I cross-posted the link to this in GD; it needs to be seen and shared everywhere! nt

[Echotrail]

28. Thanks!

:hi:

[90-percent]

29. disappointing

Such a September 10th mindset. :sarcasm:

Somebody should tell Barack that 9/11 changed everything! :sarcasm:

But, seriously, folks, it's gonna be great to have a PROFESSOR OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW in our White House!
Yes, the White House will belong to all Americans once again, just like it's supposed to!


-90% Jimmy

[Occam Bandage]

30. Loverly.

[tnlurker]

31. That is what I have been waiting to hear

For many years now. This gives me hope.

[Echotrail]

33. We have been without leadership in the public interest a long time

Now I feel my cynicism about the future easing a bit.
:hi:

[Lugnut]

34. K&R n/t

[blondeatlast]

35. K.

[Faux pas]

37. ...

:kick:

[NewJeffCT]

39. Very strong statement, and very promising

and, I'll make sure to remember it if Obama wins the election.

[TahitiNut]

40. Doesn't he know we must DESTROY the Constitution to SAVE our country???

:silly: :dunce:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

41. Great note, but where does it say

"I will close Guantanamo"?

And it doesn't specify what we would do with the current prisoner population.

Hopefully, he will shut down all the unnamed, secret prisons as well.

[blondeatlast]

42. Second to the last sentence, last full paragraph. It says so very clearly. nt

"I will also reject indefinite imprisonment without trial and close Guantanamo, reject the Military Commissions Act, and adhere to the Geneva Conventions.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

43. Doh! Thanks. I better get my eyes checked! -nt

[mod mom]

44. Our Constitution is not a nuisance. It is the foundation of our democracy. amen!

[blondeatlast]

45. k for the swing shift. nt

[me b zola]

47. K&R

:kick:

[MadrasT]

48. Thanks

Thanks, Echotrail...

"Our Constitution is not a nuisance. It is the foundation of our democracy. I will continue to fight against the assault on our nation’s most treasured document."

I needed that!

:applause:

[psquare]

50. Wouldn't this be a breath of fresh air after that foul stench of the last eight years?

[proud2BlibKansan]

51. That's a start

Now if he would only say he will put Bush and Cheney in prison. :)

[emmadoggy]

55. Hah!

:thumbsup:

[diane in sf]

66. He doesn't have to say it as long as he sets the investigations in motion that

will accomplish it. I don't care who imprisons them as long as it happens, the Hague is fine. And it might be strategic to let Bush/Cheney etc. fall into foreign hands.

[volstork]

52. AMEN!

Let's get this man into the White House ASAP!

[Kaleko]

54. Can't wait for O to take over. What a nailbiter!!!

[Cha]

57. I love his last sentence!

"Our Constitution is not a nuisance. It is the foundation of our democracy. I will continue to fight against the assault on our nation’s most treasured document."

Thank you for asking Obama and posting his response, Echotrail.

"No spying on Americans"..what a concept!

[Echotrail]

86. Thanks.

I have no illusions that it was specific only to me. I have a hunch a lot of people sent questions re: the latest Supreme Court ruling.

Notice it's addressed to "Dear Friend." That's all of us!

[NBachers]

60. Holy. Shit. n/t

[NYC_SKP]

61. K&R&Bookmarked! nt

[Hekate]

62. From his mouth to God's ears -- from there to the voting booths.

I have longed to hear or read these words for 8 hideous years. I have prayed for such a man or woman to arise on our political scene. Now my prayer is that Barack Obama be elected, serve two full terms, and die an old, old man.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

Hekate

[Fiendish Thingy]

63. It's about damn time-

this is Obama's clearest, most aggressive, unequivocating statement in defense of the Constitution and the rule of law yet.

Wish he would have been there to block Mukasey's confirmation, but, for now, this'll do.

[defendandprotect]

64. Good news, but Patriot Act still BAD news . . !!!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

69. K&R #99

Now there's something we can believe in.:kick:

[Swamp Rat]

70. k&r

[Echotrail]

87. Thank you, sir

:hi:

[RNdaSilva]

71. Make Michelle proud to be an American...again.

We don't need another extension of Bushisms.

Help by educating the information-deficients.

[ToeBot]

72. Ummm... what makes Obama think he can get all this stuff through Congress?

[cali]

73. umm, perhaps that as President he'll have a Senate with

at least 56 dem Senators and a House with an increased dem majority. Although a filibuster in the Senate is possible, it's actually not all that likely on these issues. He should be able to peel off enough repub votes to prevent one, and almost all dems in the Senate hold the same position as Obama.

[ToeBot]

76. It's not the Republican minority I'm concerned about. nt

[lebkuchen]

74. It's difficult to equivocate on these principals

but McCain has done just that. Amazing what this country has become under the Bush administration.

[and-justice-for-all]

77. November can not get here fast enough! nt

[Orsino]

78. "When I am President, America will reject torture without exception."

It's sad that this has to be a campaign promise...but good on Obama! :thumbsup:

[saltpoint]

79. All this defense of the Constitution by this Obama guy.

Sounds pretty damned liberal to me.

[Harmonicaman]

81. If there was any doubt at all about his election chances

There isn't now on the back of that statement.

Principle - now theres a word I'd like to see returned to politics and practised by more than a handful

[TBF]

84. ...

:kick:

[Scout]

85. i hope so ... good fucking luck tho' n/t