Yesterday, during his morning press conference, President Obama was asked by CBS’ Bill Plante about the ongoing hunger strike by prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
Obama’s response: “Well, I think it is critical for us to understand that Guantanamo is not necessary to keep America safe. It is expensive. It is inefficient. It hurts us in terms of our international standing. It lessens cooperation with our allies on counterterrorism efforts. It is a recruitment tool for extremists. It needs to be closed.”
He added that he was planning “to go back at” his effort to close the prison which was blocked back in 2009 by Congress.
But did he really mean any of it? I spoke with Truthout.org’s investigative journalist Jason Leopold on the KPFK/Pacifica Radio BradCast about that very question today. Leopold has been covering Gitmo for a decade now, recently returned from a visit there and plans to be heading back soon.
The conversation was both enlightening and enraging, particularly given that, despite his suggestion to the contrary, Obama already has the ability to immediately free about half of the prisoners there who were cleared of all charges at least three years ago, if not longer. He could do it today…if he wanted to…or had the political courage to do it.
Also on this week’s show, a bit of a rant on “blaming Bush”; the one woman who could have kept Dubya’s disastrous reign from ever happening in the first place; a heads-up on the upcoming 100% unverifiable Special Election for the U.S. House in SC; some Green News with Desi Doyen; and, maybe, I decide to come out as both black and gay…But you’ll have to tune in to find out if I do!
Download MP3 or listen online below…
[audio:http://bradblog.com/audio/KPFK_BradFriedman_JasonLeopold_GITMO_050113.mp3]
Barack Hussein Obama II is a trator.
The treasonous acts by Obama start with him and his conspirers hijacking the political process by registering as Democrats when, in fact, they make up a combination of socialists, progressives, communists, Marxists, anarchists, and UN-American detractors. In addition, Obama originally campaigned with the “Democratic Progressive Party†(DPP) scattered all throughout America, although they are not legally recognized as a valid political party in America to enter campaigns which would gain them enough votes to be seated. Therefore, they deliberately schemed to hijack the Democratic Party. This was led previously by Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and others who believed the Democrats were too timid to put forth their agenda, in 1991, they formed the progressive caucus within the halls of the United States Congress and used that status as a means to lend false credibility to their cause and illegitimate platform.
Since becoming president, Obama has circumvented our combined Congress by recruiting and moving his supporters underground to undercut the Constitution. In doing so, Obama had no intention of obeying the oath of office he took when he ran for office. Long before he was inaugurated on January 20, 2009, he had already recruited his loyal followers to carry out this devious plan, and he continues to draw more of them and their money in to help him.
In other words, Obama is illegally and unconstitutionally organizing and leading a lobbying force of monumental proportions from out of the White House in order to help him create his “citizen government,†to bypass the legally constitutional legislative process.
Read more about why Obama is a traitor at:
http://www.patriotsfreepress.com
RICH AND REST
What Happened to America 1980-2009???
Labor took it on the chin Financials took it to the bank
Here are awful numbers of our Plutocracy.
NET WEALTH OWNERSHIP
1%=35%–5%=63%–10%=77%–20%=89%–(80%=11%)
FINANCIAL WEALTH OWNERSHIP
1%=42%-5%=72%-10%=85%-20%=95%—(80%=5%)
If those numbers do not disgust you are a Republican.
ESTATE OWNERSHIP
One family owns more wealth than 90% of families.
It began in 1981 when Reagan started cutting top rate from 70% to 28%,
a 60% tax cut for the rich. He increased spending by 80% and Debt 189%
GW Bush tax cuts with 60% getting 16% and 5% got 48%.
We borrowed 6100B in 8 years so the rich could get richer.
Republicans fought to keep 2% tax cut. That 2% own 50% of financial wealth
and take 30% of all individual income. It includes these incomes in millions-
4000-3000-2000-1000-500-100-50-10. They need a tax break more than we need jobs and investment in infrastructure.
Boehner is saying he got a mandate not to raise taxes. Crazy Republican.
In 2013 budget it projects we borrow 900 Billion. That revenue can be gained via removing Bush tax cuts and cutting tax exemptions for the top 10%.
We MUST begin to cut the horrid debt that enriches the rich and burdens 80%.
Get $$$ out of control of government. It can be done.
In 2009, top 10% paid an 18% tax rate on individual income. Many paid 1% or less of income in Payroll taxes. 70,000,000 workers paid full rate. Top 50% paid a 12.5% Tax rate. 15% more would have balanced our budget.
Put bottom tax rate at 28% on ALL income.
What strikes me as tragically/pathetically/maddeningly weird in these sorts of scenarios you see played out again and again among inhabitants of the Washington Bubble is this.—
The understanding/assertion of these realpoliticians(and their supporters) is that the political reality in Washington makes it difficult/impossible to do what they would really like to do.
That’s code. The translation of that code is–
That’s what I hear time and time again as the underlying message. The Dems in Washington don’t really have a clue about how to neuter the rightwing noise machine. Therefore their only choice is to validate them by being helpless enablers.
Disastrous lack of imagination.
Congrats to Eric Pearson @1! While we’ve had our share of unbelievably dumb, misinformed, wholly inaccurate comments left here at The BRAD BLOG over the years, that one was just about the dumbest, most misinformed, most incredibly inaccurate ever!
Well done, Eric! Hope your padded cell will be a nice one, though! You deserve it!
So registering as a Democrat is treason, according to Eric Pearson @1.
Who knew?
Brad,
Would you please delete my comment#3, please? I miswrote twice in there, unintentionally saying sorta the opposite of what I was intending. Sigh… Maybe I can try that one again some other time. Thanks.
How does the President have the authority to release prisoners when the NDAA precisely forbids him do so? It also requires that receiving countries commit that released prisoners will not indulge in terrorist activities. What country would make such a guarantee?
What you people want is a dictator, though many of you claim he already is one. How nice it would be if you had the same passion about the 2 million people who are imprisoned in your own backyard.
http://thepoliticalpragmatic.blogspot.com/2013/05/guantanamo-is-business-as-usual.html
http://thepoliticalpragmatic.blogspot.com/2012/06/casey-and-oj-justice-do-we-want.html