Why Would You Vote for This Guy? Volume 4

Dear Friends,

A review of The New York Times this morning points out a number of continuing problems with President Obama. 

"Detainees' Lawyers Can't Click on Leaked Documents" (here).  President Obama's Justice Department is continuing to make a mockery out of any claims that we as a country respect the rights of prisoners and are actually using a legal system to find the truth.  Notwithstanding the fact that the rest of the world can view the leaked documents assessments of the prisoners at Guantanamo, the Justice Department has warned the attorneys for the prisoners that if they look at those documents they will be violating the rules about reviewing classified documents.  How absurd can we be?

"Secret Case Against Detainee Crumbles" (here).  The article starts,

The secret document described Prisoner 269, Mohammed el-Gharani, as the very incarnation of a terrorist threat: “an al Qaeda suicide operative” with links to a London cell and ties to senior plotters of international havoc.
But there was more to the story, as there so often is at the Guantánamo Bay prison in Cuba. Eight months after that newly disclosed assessment of Mr. Gharani was written by military intelligence officials, a federal judge examined the secret evidence. Saying that it was “plagued with internal inconsistencies” and largely based on the word of two other Guantánamo detainees whose reliability was in question, he ruled in January 2009 that Mr. Gharani should be released. The Obama administration sent him to Chad about five months later.

Apparently, justice is not the goal of the Obama Administration.  The goal seems to be just get rid of the prisoners one way or another.

"House G.O.P. Members Face Voter Anger Over Budget" (here).  The mainstream press is now beginning to follow the story of the difficulties that Republican Congressmen are having as they face their constituents over the break.  What makes this story interesting, is where is President Obama.  President Obama is not leading the charge.  The other members of the leadership of the Democratic Party are not leading the charge.  Regular ordinary people are leading the charge.  We need real leadership from President Obama and are not getting it.  Candidate Obama appeared for a couple days but now seems to have gone into hiding again.

"A State Manager Takes Over and Cuts What a City Can't" (here).  This headline is misleading.  The new Michigan law that permits Emergency Financial Managers to essentially get rid of elected officials.  It is not just about breaking union contracts although that is bad enough.  The manager can sell off town assets on a no bid basis.  The manager can cause the local governmental unit to be merged into some other unit.  These are all very drastic steps and the local elected officials have no say or control.  All decisions are made by a person or corporation selected by the state government.  In Benton Harbor one of the big issues that the manager may sell off a public park on Lake Michigan which is about the only beautiful asset that the city has and it was donated to the town years ago by a grateful local family.  The manager for the Detroit school system is trying to close a school for pregnant girls and girls that have babies.  The school provides the only hope for these women and their children.  Closing it will save money but cost lives.  Just as he has been silent in the attacks on public service employee unions, President Obama has been silent as attacks like these on democracy and those least able to help themselves has been carried out by Republicans.

"Irked at Democrats, Firefighters Suspend Federal Contributions" (here).  Speaking of President Obama's failure to speak out in support of unions, the Firefighters are actually trying to do something about the fact that at election time candidates like Candidate Obama talk about how they support unions but once elected they fail to show any support.  Is it possible that the old coalition of workers, unions and other liberals will actually come together again to force politicians to honor the promises that they make to us as candidates or else find new candidates?

"Deportation Halted for Some Students as Lawmakers Seek New Policy" (here).  As you may recall, President Obama has deported more people that President Bush ever thought of deporting.  Well apparently, he is feeling the pressure a little.  Is there hope that as the election approaches, President Obama will actually listen to those of us that elected him?


"Names of the Dead" (here).  The Names of the Dead column contained six more names today of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.  There is no rational justification for us to be there building a nation that is ruled by a crook and his cronies.  We need to get out now.

There must be a better choice for liberals than to support a conservative who calls himself a Democrat because he is better than the crazy Republicans that are running.

Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal