ThinkFast: May 21, 2009
ThinkFast: May 21, 2009
The Obama administration has decided to put a “high value” Guantanamo Bay detainee on trial in New York City. Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that Ahmed Ghailani will be sent there for trial, “which would make him the first Guantanamo detainee brought to the U.S. and the first to face trial in a civilian criminal court.”
Though a Pentagon report that said 74 released Guantanamo detainees returned to terrorism quickly made headlines, the “Pentagon has provided no way of authenticating” the 45 recidivists it leaves unnamed, while “only a few of the 29 people identified by name can be independently verified as having engaged in terrorism since their release. Many of the 29 are simply described as associating with terrorists or training with terrorists.”
Obama “has interviewed Judge Diane P. Wood of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago” as a possible nominee to the Supreme Court. Wood was in town for a legal conference earlier this week but also met with Obama. The two first met when they taught at the University of Chicago Law School.
The Senate confirmed David Hayes as Deputy Interior Secretary last night. Initially, Sens. Robert Bennett (R-UT) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) had blocked Hayes’s nomination because Secretary Ken Salazar “had canceled oil and gas leases.”
Congress sent a credit card reform bill to President Obama’s desk yesterday, “completing a trio of consumer-related measures that Democrats had raced to get signed into law by Memorial Day.” However, the bill also includes a provision allowing national parks visitors to carry loaded and concealed firearms. Obama is expected to sign the measure.
Army vice chief of staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli has warned that “Army commanders are failing to punish or seek treatment for a growing number of soldiers who test positive for substance abuse, possibly because they don’t want to lose any more combat troops.” Chiarelli said hundreds of soldiers who tested positive for drug use were not processed for possible discharge or referred to the Army’s substance abuse program.
In Baghdad yesterday, “[t]hree American soldiers were killed and nine others wounded” after a bomb exploded as the soldiers “patrolled near a popular outdoor market.”
In a 186-188 vote yesterday, the New Hampshire state House rejected the changes Gov. John Lynch (D) proposed to a marriage equality bill. However, the chamber then voted to “ask the Senate to work out their differences in a committee of conference and vote again later this session.” Lynch had insisted on including “protections for religious institutions” that oppose same-sex marriage.
“President Barack Obama is likely to get a sweeping bipartisan endorsement when the Senate votes on his request for continuing military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan,” although the $80 million he was seeking to close Guantanamo was dropped Wednesday. The measure “would boost total approved spending for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars above $900 billion.”
And finally: House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans opposed to the Waxman-Markey climate change legislation have threatened to “force the reading of the entire 946-page bill” in order to hold up the process. However, Democrats on the committee “have taken a novel step to head off Republican effort”: Hire a speed reader. “Judging by the size of the amendments, I can read a page about every 34 seconds,” said the newly hired “staff assistant.” The Wall Street Journal estimates that at this pace, it would take about nine hours to read the entire bill.
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Here’s a big one that was missed on this morning’s ThinkFast thread:
WASHINGTON — President Obama told human rights advocates at the White House on Wednesday that he was mulling the need for a “preventive detention” system that would establish a legal basis for the United States to incarcerate terrorism suspects who are deemed a threat to national security but cannot be tried, two participants in the private session said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/us/politics/21obama.html?_r=1&hpw
May 21st, 2009 at 9:09 amThe trolls are punching in a little early today.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:11 amIf the Democrats had pulled the same stunt, you’d be howling high treason. (cough) (gasp) (choke) (wink)
May 21st, 2009 at 9:11 am“And finally: House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans opposed to the Waxman-Markey climate change legislation have threatened to “force the reading of the entire 946-page bill” in order to hold up the process.”
Methinks it’s a great idea if they lock the doors, confiscate the cellphones and lock the bathrooms. Let’s see the great congress sweat for a change.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:17 amCongress sent a credit card reform bill to President Obama’s desk yesterday.
Reform? Really?
This watered down bill couldn’t even get agreement on a 15% cap on interest rates.
The same entities getting free money from the Feds are now given a 9 month window to milk American credit card users further.
Just the fact Republics allowed the bill through without throwing hissy fits confirms this bill has no teeth.
Reform? Yeah, to the same degree the Republic party is reformed.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:19 amCFP, did you even read the story that was printed? I’m glad you buy right into aljazeera’s spin on the talks. From all the reports I have seen Obama didn’t cave or change his stance on Iran or a two state solution, and we all knew were Netanyahu stands.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:21 amCFPee, the Troll that keeps on pissing…
May 21st, 2009 at 9:22 amIt should be required that all those who vote in favor of requiring the reading of the bill in its entirety be present for the entire reading!
May 21st, 2009 at 9:22 amConservativeForProgress Says:
According to http://www.aljazeera.com/, “Netanyahu ran rings around [Obama].” It’s starting to sound like the honeymoon is over.
Quoting from Aljazeera now? Goodness, goon_golly, amazing to see you using a source that you would scorn if offered by a “lib.”
May 21st, 2009 at 9:22 amConservativeForProgress Says:
Military sources report that Israel, blah blah blah
Plagiarizing again (and again and again), CFP, aka goon_golly is now stealing the words of DEBKAfile and pretending they are his/her own.
Dishonest to the core.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:24 amConservativeForProgress Says: Military sources report that Israel, the US and Europe were taken aback by Iran’s successful launch Wednesday, May 20, of a two-stage, solid-fueled 2,000-kilometer range missile, blah, blah, blah
When you get over your home-made delusions, you should accept that as long as we have a single nuclear weapon (and we have 3000), that we have absolutely no right to condemn anyone else who has or wants one to defend themselves from those who do.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:24 amFor the foundering ship of Conservatism, it must be any port in a storm (Port Aljazeera?).
May 21st, 2009 at 9:25 amIt isn’t about “reading the bill”. It’s about reading the bill, out loud… into the record… to grind the gears to a halt. It isn’t about Congressmen doing their duty and reading the damned legislation (which I agree we pay them enough to do), its about bald faced republican obstructionism.
Don’t be a hack.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:26 amCFP, why do you insist on coming here everyday to remind us how ignorant and fearful you are?
Don’t you think we know that by now?
May 21st, 2009 at 9:26 amI think I have given up on expecting the repugs to behave like grownups.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:27 amX10. The rules need an update. In 200+ years, a lot of people have gotten really good at reading the top of the box and now Free Parking means a different thing every time i crack open mon…wait…where am i?
May 21st, 2009 at 9:28 amobama will use the Iranian missile firing to flip-flop and back the likudniks 100%. The appointment of rahm says all that we need to know about obama’s view of the ME. All of the brave words turned out to be nothing more than disposable words. The small donors leaped into action and gave obama the victory in the expectation that he would reverse or change the policies of the bush administration. What a great change has actually occured!
May 21st, 2009 at 9:30 amConservativeForProgress Says:
How shocking. Actually requiring lawmakers to read a bill before voting on it? (insert gasp) (snark).
Reading comprehension is as low as always, goon. This isn’t a requirement to “read” the bill before voting on it, it is a requirement to read the entire bill ALOUD before the House, in order to delay it. This was done along with a promise from the GOPers to add 450 amendments, also in order to prevent the bill from coming to a vote.
Please don’t comment on anything to do with democracy, legislation, or any of the other myriad facets of life you have zero comprehension about.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:30 amCFP thinks he’s edumakating us. Silly troll.
ps- Anyone see the spanking that Olbermann gave to Boss Limpbag last night? Poor, poor Rush. It seems that all the negative attention that the gasbag has garnered for himself is becoming a bit too much for the tit-head of the GOP.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:39 amBeaerCountry, why would Obama do that? US officals were not surprised or impressed by the launch. According to one offical,”its just another test that confirms the system they have had since last summer”.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:40 amI saw that APAA, too funny.
Olbermann exposes the idiocy of right wingers, which is why they hate him
May 21st, 2009 at 9:41 amConservativeForProgress Says:
I’m not using Al Jazeera because I like it. I’m using Al Jazeera because Liberals tend to like it. Even one of the Liberals’ favorite rags is ragging on Obama’s weakness now.
Oh, sure, we quote from Al Jazeera all the time here. Oh, wait. We don’t.
Explain, please, why you would expect anything but an Arab/Palestinian-slanted viewpoint from Al Jazeera?
May 21st, 2009 at 9:43 amConservativeforprogress?
I guess it’s oxymoron day at TP.
OK I’ll play along. I’m changing my handle to
Cheneyguncontrol
May 21st, 2009 at 9:44 amgummble-bee-itch Says:
Quoting from Aljazeera now? Goodness, goon_golly, amazing to see you using a source that you would scorn if offered by a “lib.”
May 21st, 2009 at 9:22 am
____________
That’s not al-Jazeera the satellite network. The web site for that al-Jazeera is http://www.aljazeera.net. The site aljazeera.com is for a magazine based out of London.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:45 amA high value Gitmo detainee is one that can walk.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:46 amCFP is such a fearful little coward, which makes him the perfect mark for the right wing con.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:49 amConservativeForProgress Says:
A Patriotic Anopheles Acting Says:
——————————————————————————–
“…Anyone see … Olbermann … last night?”______________________________________________
Nope. Not too many people watch him. His ratings suck as much as his rantings.
Ah, yes, the “ratings” rant. I’m sure that McDonalds makes the best possible cheeseburger, because they sell the most. Right?
Idiot.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:50 amat least it’s fun making CFP dance to our tune
May 21st, 2009 at 9:50 amConservativeForProgress Says:
I’m not using Al Jazeera because I like it. I’m using Al Jazeera because Liberals tend to like it. Even one of the Liberals’ favorite rags is ragging on Obama’s weakness now.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:40 am
__________
The magazine al-Jazeera has pretty consistently ragged on U.S. foreign policy towards Israel, no matter who is in the White House. What’s your point?
May 21st, 2009 at 9:51 amConservativeForProgress Says:
Oh, really?
http://thinkprogress.org/search/search.php?q=Al+Jazeera
May 21st, 2009 at 9:50 am
___________
Idiot.
That’s Al Jazeera the satellite network. Which is not affiliated with the web site you linked to.
Believe it or not, there is more than one Arab media outlet using that name.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:53 amCFPs only points are:
#1 to entertain liberals
May 21st, 2009 at 9:55 am#2 to increase TP ad revenue
#3 to demonstrate the depraved ignorance and cowardice of the average right wing moron
However, the bill also includes a provision allowing national parks visitors to carry loaded and concealed firearms.
WTF? How about some highway funding and foreign aid in there as well, just join random things together. Oh and repeal DADT.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:58 amObama agreed to pay 100% for Israel’s missile defense system, the Arrow 3.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1242212426298&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Funny, not long ago that was slated for axing in the Pentagon budget:
http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2009/04/09/Obama-Gates-take-aim-at-Israels-Arrow-3-missile/UPI-62611239291461/
May 21st, 2009 at 10:00 amAlso worth noting:
A typical reading spead of 2 minutes per page would mean that House Representatives would have to sit there and twitter for 30 hours while the bill and its 449 proposed amendments was read into the record.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:04 amConservativeForProgress Says:
gummble-bee-itch Says:
——————————————————————————–
Oh, sure, we quote from Al Jazeera all the time here. Oh, wait. We don’t.
______________________________________
Oh, really?
You didn’t actually read any of the linked articles, did you?
I didn’t think so.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:06 amConservativeForProgress Says:
I clearly cited the source and provided the link. Pay attention.
No, you did not. Citing the source includes actually mentioning the source, and using proper punctuation to make it clear that it is a quotation. TP is nice enough to provide the “blockquote” tag to help you out. Copying someone else’s words and burying a link in the text does not qualify as “citing the source.” Again, please stick to the few things you must know. Clearly, this is not one of them.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:09 amI just have to laugh every time I see the provision about allowing concealed and loaded guns in our national parks. The right wing conspiracy nuts are being whipped into a frenzy by the gun manufacturers about their weapons being taken away. Meanwhile, the assault weapons ban is stalled while the Democratically controlled Congress passes one of the NRA’s major legislative goals by overwhelming margins and the President is expected to sign it. Arm up crazies, you won’t even need to unload when you visit Old Faithful this summer. What a bunch of rubes.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:11 amObama to lay framework for closing Gitmo
(CNN) — President Obama is to make a major address Thursday on national security, including discussing plans to deal with pending cases at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, one of the most outspoken critics of Obama’s policies, is slated to give an opposing argument Thursday morning. Cheney has charged that Obama’s national security decisions have left the United States more vulnerable to attack.
Obama’s address is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. ET at the National Archives. Cheney will speak before the conservative American Enterprise Institute at 10:45 a.m.
LINK
Dick is in massive spin control.
The facts which will be exposed by the detainees will easily implicate the Shrub Admin for war crimes.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:19 amI’m not a gun owner. I don’t really care about guns one way or the other. Having said that, I don’t understand why a person would need to carry a loaded/concealed weapon in a National Park.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:27 amSorry I logged in late today. Holy Sh-t by the third comment the stupid wars about what the trolls said had already started. This is not a comment section any longer, only an arena, a circus. Can’t we just ignore these comments and have an inteligent civil discussion! Please ignore these morons.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:36 amStephen Colbert wants you to support the troops by supporting their kids education:
http://www.donorschoose.org/homepage/main.html?zone=321
Again, something the Rupuketards claim to favor, yet offer nothing in service.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:52 amObama soft on terror? No way:
NYC police: Terror suspects wanted to commit jihad
James Cromitie, David Williams, Onta Williams and Laguerre Payen, all of Newburgh, were charged with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction within the United States and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Oops, all of them where USA nationals…
May 21st, 2009 at 10:55 amU.S. keeps nuclear “don’t ask, don’t tell”: Israel aide
The U.S. administration of President Barack Obama will not force Israel to state publicly whether it has nuclear weapons, an Israeli official said on Thursday.
He said Washington would stick to a decades-old U.S. policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE54K2XM20090521
May 21st, 2009 at 10:56 amOxymoron says: “Nope. Not too many people watch him. His ratings suck as much as his rantings.”
Oh so THAT’S why Boss Hogzilla wants them to stop pointing out his bullshit. I get it now, the network is insignificant, noone watches it anyway, yet the drug addled fearmonger needed to take time out of his comedy show to plead with them to stop mentioning his lies. CNP you are the epitome of a brainwashed dittohead. You actually believe the bullshit that flows from your keyboard don’t you? And all this time I thought you were a liberal plant because I didn’t want to admit that someone could actually be that willfully ignorant of facts.
ps-How about the equally enjoyable spanking that the ladies of The View gave to Glenn Beck yesterday? Poor fools, Beck and Limbaugh. Drunk, fat and stupid is no way to go through life GOPers. It is entertaining though.
May 21st, 2009 at 11:01 amstateofthedivision Says:
When will the USA finally talk about the big nuclear elephant in the room? Y’know, the one with the yarmulke.
May 21st, 2009 at 11:36 amLuis, I guess Senator Obama wasn’t listening when Ehud Olmert slipped up in 2006.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hcXJTD51ro
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article752059.ece
Apparently Israel can put a genie back in the bottle. I blogged about it:
http://arisfreedomswitch.blogspot.com/2009/05/obama-keeps-nuclear-dont-ask-dont-tell.html
May 21st, 2009 at 12:06 pmObama rejects call for Bush-era truth commission
U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday rejected calls, including by some fellow Democrats, for a truth commission to investigate Bush-era terrorism policies, saying nothing would be gained from it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE54K3ZQ20090521
May 21st, 2009 at 12:07 pmThe bill should be read, and every member of congress should be there to hear it. And those voting to require it’s reading should be required to be there, or their vote is removed, and the votes re-counted to determine if there are enough to still force the reading.
Though, really, every bill should have to be read every time, and every congressman and woman should have to be there. What priveledge do they have to not punch in their time at work just because they don’t feel like it (or because they have a pressing golf game with a lobbyist to bribe them)?
May 21st, 2009 at 12:23 pm“However, the bill also includes a provision allowing national parks visitors to carry loaded and concealed firearms.”
Great idea! Why not express even wider support for 2nd amendment rights, like allowing visitors to the US Capitol to carry loaded firearms? And, come to think of it, why AREN”T we allowed to carry loaded guns onto airplanes?
May 21st, 2009 at 12:32 pmstateofthedivision Says:
Obama rejects call for Bush-era truth commission
More disappointment I can believe in :(
May 21st, 2009 at 2:18 pmFrom Bush’s preventive war to Obama’s preventive detention:
http://arisfreedomswitch.blogspot.com/2009/05/from-bushs-preventive-war-to-obamas.html
There’s a good piece on HuffPo:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/21/civil-libertarian-rips-ob_n_206343.html
May 21st, 2009 at 2:30 pmI think this credit card reform bill is too little too late. This most, if not all of this, crap has been happening since 2007. I was late on paying my credit card ONCE in 2007 due to a fluke with an online bill payment and BAM – my interest rate shot up to 30%!
It’s nice to have the credit card companies reeled in but, government is always too late to the game – the damage has been done already and will continue. Remember, the BANKS own the Senate! That’s all we need to know.
May 21st, 2009 at 3:01 pm“…Many of the 29 are simply described as associating with terrorists…..”
You mean they were members of the Annenberg Foundation?[snark]
May 21st, 2009 at 4:37 pmObama team sticks with DADT on Israel’s nuclear weapons, while Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen calls an Iranian nuclear weapon calamitous, saying it would start a regional arms race.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE54K5LI20090521
May 21st, 2009 at 5:21 pm