Obama Plays It Cool As Code Pink Disrupts His Speech.

[Grassy Knoll]

[DeSwiss]

1. You've been PINK'D! K&R n/t

[TekGryphon]

2. Absolutely clueless. Protesting the guy who'se trying to close the damn thing down.

He's been pushing for it from day one, he's got an army of lawyers trying to find wiggle room to grant him the executive power to close it, but some silly ditz thinks it's going to "advance the cause" to disrupt the biggest advocate she's got on the issue.

What an idiot.

I like a lot of what Code Pink does, and I applauded their protest of John Brennan's nomination, but this woman was an example of how every organization has their nitwits.

[Zen Democrat]

3. Medea Benjamin happens to be THE major voice of Code Pink.

[TekGryphon]

4. And she's proven herself to be an idiot who promotes right-wing conspiracy theories

Gitmo must be closed by Congress.

The idea that Gitmo is open because Obama wants it to be open is a conservative media bullshit fantasy story.

She may be THE major voice of Code Pink, but she might as well be a paid Fox News correspondent.

[limpyhobbler]

9. He could release prisoners from there with no help from Congress.

There are a whole bunch of people in there who have been deemed not guilty and cleared for release.

That's on Him.

[Boomerproud]

22. What has Code Pink accomplished?

That's the only important question.

[TekGryphon]

23. Advanced right-wing fantasies and undermined Obama during a progressive push.

Nothing more.

[burnodo]

13. Horsepuckey

As Medea Benjamin said, Obama could close Guantanamo (or Gitmo as he lovingly refers to it) right this moment, but he doesn't. He ran in 2008 on a promise of closing down Guantanamo immediately. Five years later, mostly innocent of any crime prisoners are still dying. Obama has no credibility on this issue.

[TekGryphon]

14. Yes, by sending the military into Congress, disbanding them, and assuming their powers.

I'm sure Code Pink would love that.

[burnodo]

27. Can congress issue military orders?

Obama sure can.

[Tarheel_Dem]

16. So you're in favor of a "Unitary Executive"? Didn't we object to that in the Bush years?

What you & Medea are suggesting is that the POTUS circumvent Congress because this issue is "supposedly" important to you, (only you know if that's true). But as a Constitutionalist, this POTUS naturally disdains circumventing the legislative branch of government, as he should. Folks like Medea get lumped in with "the left", and she makes us all look like ill informed teabaggers. Besides, the American people disagree with you & Medea, and obviously, the president.

June 3, 2009

Americans Oppose Closing Gitmo and Moving Prisoners to U.S.
Public does not believe prison has weakened U.S. national security

by Jeffrey M. Jones

PRINCETON, NJ -- By a better than 2-to-1 margin, Americans are opposed to closing the Guantanamo Bay prison that houses terror suspects and moving some of those prisoners to the United States. Americans express even more widespread opposition to the idea of moving the prisoners to prisons in their own states if Guantanamo is closed

http://www.gallup.com/poll/119393/Americans-Oppose-Closing-Gitmo-Moving-Prisoners.aspx

Updated: 05/14/2013

Emily SwansonBecome a fan.
[e-mail]

Guantanamo Poll Finds Most Favor Detainee Trials, But Not Prison Closure

Most Americans are in favor of giving trials to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. But the results underscore the political difficulty President Barack Obama will face if he intends to move ahead with closing the prison, as most favor keeping it open.

According to the latest survey, 54 percent of Americans said the U.S. should continue to operate the Guantanamo prison, while only 27 percent said it should be shut down. Another 19 percent said they weren't sure.

On the other hand, actually closing the prison was opposed by the vast majority of Republicans (a margin of 78 percent to 8 percent), as well as by most independents (53 percent to 25 percent). Among Democrats, the plurality favored closing the prison (44 percent to 39 percent).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/03/guantanamo-poll_n_3210409.html

I find it amazing that someone, like Medea, who "Stands With Rand" is even entertained on a site like DU. She may endorse his isolationist policies, but "standing with him" means she endorses his "you're on your own" mindset, and his desire to free corporations from any & all regulatory restraints. Like Jane Hamsher and her Grover Norquist partnership , Medea may soon find herself out of favor with many of the folks who used to support her.

[burnodo]

26. Unitary executive?

He is the Commander in Chief of US military. He could direct that the prisoners be sent elsewhere or released.

[Tarheel_Dem]

28. And who pays for the relocation? And what about the prisoners whose countries don't want them back?

Where do they go? Do we just drop 'em off in the middle of the desert? The CIC doesn't control the purse strings. The constitution doesn't give him those powers. And as the polling shows, the American people don't want the facility closed, and they certainly don't want 'em in their own backyard.

You & Medea are not the ones who will take the fall when one of these guys is released, and subsequently picked up on the battlefield again. That'll be the CIC. What I want for the civil libertarians/liberals to do is stop doing this emotional bullshit that Medea pulled yesterday, and get a fucking grip. American public opinion is NOT on your side. Those are the facts.

[pacalo]

5. They lost me when they didn't accept Obama's gracious plea to listen.

They have become this...

[Tarheel_Dem]

17. +1. Medea's doing the circuit talking about "what she didn't hear". I'm surprised she heard.....

anything, cause she wouldn't shut the fuck up, even after being asked politely, so that he could address her "concerns". She, along with Rand Paul, have jumped the shark.

[pacalo]

24. It was damn good speech, too -- if she would have listened.

[Tarheel_Dem]

25. Exactly. She's in the mindset of a teabagger right now. All emotion, and no critical thinking.

It's sad.

[stlsaxman]

6. Me-Me-Me-Medea should check her med(ea)'s and wash them down

with a warm, soothing cuppa stfu 'n' listen fer a minute.

[DWinNJ]

7. If this was a GWB speech

She would have been dragged out after 2 seconds
If she had gotten in in the first place

[90-percent]

8. Agreed

Your point is profound and true. Our President has a beautiful mind for sure. A lot of respect for free speech was shown by our President. I do have to educate myself further on the whole episode.

As for unintended consequences, I predict Fox will accuse Benjamin of literally following the White House' script on this exchange within 24 hours. The latest and newly minted Obama conspiracy Speculation without any basis in fact. Pure hypothetical conjecture. It's a hobby.

-90% Jimmy

[bowens43]

12. you have got to be kidding. Where have you been the last several months?

[90-percent]

29. FYI

I was only referring to his recent speech as interrupted by Medea Benjamin. His unscripted comments sure sound like Obama is in favor of free speech.

HOWEVER, in terms of free speech and hunting down whistle blowers, the Obama Admin is making Nixon's admin look like the Powder Puff Girls.

I'm of the opinion American citizens should not have to surrender one micro-meter of their Constitutional Rights in order to continue this asinine perpetual war on terra. The BLOWBACK from our drone murders will insure at least a few more decades of fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here.

The governmental mechanisms for an AMERICAN TOTALITARIAN FASCIST POLICE STATE have been aggressively under construction since the PNAC doctrine was written in the late 90's.

-jim

[limpyhobbler]

10. I bet the government has her phones tapped. nt

[Tarheel_Dem]

18. Alex Jones or Glenn Beck?

Embarrassing.

[limpyhobbler]

19. What are you trying to say? Be clear.

Are you implying that I listened to either Alex Jones or Glenn Beck and then repeated it here?

That's how I took it. If that's what you meant, that's a good example of dumb troll-hunting that makes web forums suck.

[Tarheel_Dem]

20. I think you know.

[limpyhobbler]

21. have a nice life dude.

[bowens43]

11. better watch out for drones.....

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. Masterful!

[creativebliss]

30. This so demonstrates my concerns about "outliers"

Okay, so Medea is some radical chick who should never have dared to interrrupt the President of the United States who so "graciously" asked her shut up and listen to him. Really? Well, in my opinion, he was not gracious...and he didn't repsond to her...he just kept following his script...he did go "off" script to say how he didnt' agree with her, but he stayed on script when "responding" to her concerns. This is a man speaking in "public" to only those invited...a man who speaks uninterrupted as often as he'd like...whose attention is always expected and demanded...Medea, whether you agree with her or not, was doing something none of us could given the time and place...she questioned authority...she used her freedom of speech to do so...and I commend her for these things...but, instead, she's been seen as radical and her efforts ultimately dismissed...

In my opinion, we have got to do more of this...speak up and speak out...the more we do it, the less radical it will be become and then the true issues at hand and in our hearts will be addressed...and, then the actual change so many of us desire will become reality...

I believe that the President should give truly public speaches where actual citizens can ask him serious and informed questions. I don't care how "important" he is. We voted him in, he should answer to us...that is democracy after all.

[burnodo]

31. +1

and Thank you!