Obama Vs. The American People
"We all heard Barack Obama’s impressive oratory skills, with the help of his beloved teleprompter, throughout the 2008 election and during his first months as president. But he is learning the hard way that no matter how impressive his rhetoric may be, the American people care more about substance when it comes to important issues like national security. Take the closing of the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, for example.
A new Gallup poll finds Americans oppose closing Guantanamo Bay prison by an overwhelming 2-to-1 margin. The poll was taken after Obama delivered his major address on the issue on May 21st at the National Archives. The poll also found that Americans oppose moving the Guantanamo detainees into American prisons by a 3-to-1 margin. Once again, this demonstrates how out of touch with the American people Barack Obama is.
The administration has still not developed a detailed plan regarding where the detainees will be transferred if the prison is closed by the end of this year as Obama demands. Understandably, no other countries want these thugs on their soil. This means that Obama may propose moving the terrorists into the American prison system, and some detainees may be released into society. Ironically, Obama’s biggest problem might not be Congress or even the American public’s opposition, but rather a national security law that he voted for in 2005.
According to Stephanie Hessler of The Weekly Standard, the REAL ID Act of 2005 prohibits anyone affiliated with terrorist activity from entering and living in the United States. The act excludes from our country “any foreigner who has engaged in terrorist activity, is a member of a terrorist organization, endorses terrorist activity, or has received military-type training from a terrorist organization.” Many, if not all, of the detainees at Guantanamo could not be released in the U.S. under these criteria.
The president is in a predicament. Insisting on releasing terrorists onto American soil not only puts his political future at risk, it puts innocent Americans in harm’s way as well. Let’s hope Barack Obama will learn to put the American people’s interests first rather than continue to try to appease the global community as he has done thus far in his presidency. "
Gary Bauer
Campaign for Working Families
"We all heard Barack Obama’s impressive oratory skills, with the help of his beloved teleprompter, throughout the 2008 election and during his first months as president. But he is learning the hard way that no matter how impressive his rhetoric may be, the American people care more about substance when it comes to important issues like national security. Take the closing of the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, for example.
A new Gallup poll finds Americans oppose closing Guantanamo Bay prison by an overwhelming 2-to-1 margin. The poll was taken after Obama delivered his major address on the issue on May 21st at the National Archives. The poll also found that Americans oppose moving the Guantanamo detainees into American prisons by a 3-to-1 margin. Once again, this demonstrates how out of touch with the American people Barack Obama is.
The administration has still not developed a detailed plan regarding where the detainees will be transferred if the prison is closed by the end of this year as Obama demands. Understandably, no other countries want these thugs on their soil. This means that Obama may propose moving the terrorists into the American prison system, and some detainees may be released into society. Ironically, Obama’s biggest problem might not be Congress or even the American public’s opposition, but rather a national security law that he voted for in 2005.
According to Stephanie Hessler of The Weekly Standard, the REAL ID Act of 2005 prohibits anyone affiliated with terrorist activity from entering and living in the United States. The act excludes from our country “any foreigner who has engaged in terrorist activity, is a member of a terrorist organization, endorses terrorist activity, or has received military-type training from a terrorist organization.” Many, if not all, of the detainees at Guantanamo could not be released in the U.S. under these criteria.
The president is in a predicament. Insisting on releasing terrorists onto American soil not only puts his political future at risk, it puts innocent Americans in harm’s way as well. Let’s hope Barack Obama will learn to put the American people’s interests first rather than continue to try to appease the global community as he has done thus far in his presidency. "
Gary Bauer
Campaign for Working Families
Posts
