Gibbs 1, Boehner 0

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_12/021480.php

GIBBS 1, BOEHNER 0.... House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) probably realizes his rhetoric about closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay is ridiculous. But now that detainees are being transferred from Gitmo to Thomson, Illinois, Boehner has a story to exploit, whether it makes sense or not.

And with that in mind, Boehner issued a press release asking, "How will importing dangerous terrorists make America safer?"

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs answered that question during yesterday's briefing. Jake Tapper had this report:

"If there are concerns for security reasons, I would hope some of those people would address why they think the military can do what they're doing at Guantanamo and can't do it at Thomson," Gibbs said at his daily briefing today.

Continued Gibbs, "I will say this. I have seen some far crazier comments today -- comments from people like John Boehner. Here's what I would suggest for John Boehner. Call up Leon Panetta or Denny Blair at the CIA or the director of national intelligence. Ask them if he can come down and watch a video put out by Al Qaida senior leadership like -- the names that we recognize, (Ayman al-) Zawahiri. Thirty-two times since 2001 and four times this year alone, senior Al Qaida leadership in recruiting videos have used the prison at Guantanamo Bay as a clarion call to bring extremists from around the world to join their effort." <...>

Gibbs today said the move, in closing Guantanamo Bay, will make the country safer, and suggested if Boehner -- or anybody -- is confused by that, they should go to the members of the previous administration such as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and ask "why they support closing Guantanamo Bay and support today's decision."

This should be easy enough for even congressional Republicans to understand.

Of course, I suspect they do understand it -- notice, these clowns didn't whine like children when Bush announced his preference to close Gitmo, too -- but hope to play the American public for fools. It's the height of cynicism.

—Steve Benen

[Clio the Leo]

1. When you realize the prison is 150 miles from Obama's HOUSE...

.... the GOP loses any logic their argument had. (and it didn't have much)

[NewJeffCT]

2. Of course, when Bush does it

it's a bold strategic re-alignment based on changing facts on the ground. If Obama does it, it's cowardly and endangers Americans.

[FSogol]

3. Basically the Republican fear is that all the detainees are Lex Luthor.

They will all escape using their superior intellect and convert America's youth over to the ways of the Wicked Taliban. If they were still in Cuba, they'd have to swim here first.

[GoCubsGo]

4. Basically, the republicans fear PERIOD

Fear is at the root of just about everything the believe, except for the stuff that is ruled by greed.

[NewJeffCT]

7. No, what they really fear is

The trial being made public and them telling about the torture they endured under the minions of Darth Cheney & Herr Bush.

[ellie]

8. I don't know why

it isn't like anything is going to happen to the torturers anyway.

[Cha]

5. Someone asked in another thread about closing Guantanamo

"why they were giving bush credit?". That's easy..to shut up whiners like boehner who bc he is a republicon will disagree with anything the president does.

I read the people in Thomson, Illinois wrote letters that they wanted the prison there for jobs.

[Popular Front]

6. Gibbs is the greatest

Gotta love him.

[euphoria12leo]

9. Every time Boehner speaks.....................

Heck the guy is orange. Not a good sign. He's a :freak: and he never has anything to say worth listening to.