(2009-05-21) Senate Blocks Gitmo Shutdown

The US Senate voted 90-6 to keep the prison at Guantanamo Bay open for the foreseeable future and forbid the transfer of any detainees to facilities in the United States.... on the heels of a similar move a week ago in the House, underscoring widespread apprehension among Barack Obama's congressional allies over voters' strong feelings about bringing detainees to the U.S. from the prison in Cuba.

All six opponents of the proposal were Democrats, including Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Carl Levin of Michigan, and Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

"No good purpose is served by allowing known terrorists, who trained at terrorist training camps, to come to the U.S. and live among us," said Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas. "Guantanamo Bay was never meant to be an Ellis Island." What a moron.

Initially, Senate Democrats, who hold a majority, had hoped to finesse the issue. They drafted legislation that allowed Obama's use of the funds to close Guantanamo after he presented a plan that outlined steps for dealing with the detainees held there. It does seem like back handling of something that obviously has some controvery to it, to push ahead on the closing process without having a reasonable plan ready to discuss.