Whom, Not What
A quick glance at the latest mental ramblings of the Obama Administration does it no justice. A detailed analysis gives us a better look into the mind of the man who is our President. For the past couple of years, he has expressed his outrage over the handling of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. He has declared it to be "unconstitutional" to hold these men without charges or trials, and called it a departure from our morals. Now, his Administration is considering prolonging that alleged immorality.
I, for one, applaud the move. As the Bush Administration before him stated, many of these detainees are very unsavory characters that we don't want out running around this world we live in. Yet the allegations against the Bush Administration were that they let fear get in the way of good judgment, and hence violated a moral code by doing this in the first place. So why is Obama considering carrying on the practice?
The White House is weighing the move out of concern that Congress might otherwise stymie its plans to quickly close the naval prison in Cuba.
Under the proposal, detainees considered too dangerous to prosecute or release would be kept in confinement in the U.S. or possibly overseas, two administration officials told the Associated Press on Friday. Otherwise, the White House could get bogged down for months seeking an agreement with Congress on a new legal detention system.
And there you have it. President Obama criticized former President Bush for doing the same thing out of fear that these people, if released, might attack us. President Obama is now considering carrying on the practice based on the fear that if he does not, his delivery on a political promise might be delayed. Herein lie two problems for the President.
- The very act will be considered a violation of the promise by the special interest groups he was pandering to when he made the pledge in the first place. These people aren't concerned with National Security, or they wouldn't have wanted these guys released in the first place. The idea of bestowing the very civil liberties that we in America enjoy upon those who plot acts of terrorism is devoid of common sense in itself. Hence, those who wish to see this happen suffer from either a complete lack of common sense, or a suspension of it in this particular instance. No amount of explaining will make it better. It will be viewed as an extension on the "failed policies of the last eight years".
- This proposal totally hangs his buddies over at MSNBC out to dry. Rachel Maddow and Kieth Olbermann have been hammering home the "close Gitmo" agenda for years. They have been loud and boisterous critics of "detaining prisoners indefinitely" without trial. Does Dear Leader Obama think these people will surrender all of their credibility to get on board with this plan? I highly doubt it.
For Conservatives, this move is just what the doctor ordered. Obviously, I am not delusional enough to believe that Maddow or Olbermann will ever support a Conservative Candidate. But what about the Blue Dog Democrat? What about the average, everyday American who heard Obama's arguments that it was wrong and immoral to detain these people indefinitely and gave it some credence? What is there reaction when he lends his support to activities that he himself has deemed to be wrong and immoral? I believe they would be willing to support someone who is a Conservative who shows the character to stand firm in what he believes.
Am I saying that I expect this to happen? No. I highly doubt that this Administration will stand up to the pressure placed on them by all of the groups who are already outraged by it. The outrage, however, will have its consequences. I quote Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union.
"If President Obama issues an executive order authorizing indefinite detention, he'll be repeating the same mistakes of George Bush, and his policies will be destined to fail as were his predecessor's."
And that is the problem for Obama. Mr. Romero is using his influence to bring Czarack back into the fold. The thing to remember is that Romero only has influence because his voice is heard by many people. So assuming the pressure works and Obama doesn't sign the order, he still has the problem of the conflict created in the minds of those who hear Romero and the others who drive home this point. Simply put, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.
