Soon-to-be-one-term-former U.S. Reps. Tom Perriello and Gerry “The Big Doofus” Connolly just cast the deciding votes on an amendment offered by Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), H.AMDT.220 to H.R.2847, that would have prohibited funds to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and prevent those detainees from being move to places like, oh… VIRGINIA!!! The Lewis amendment failed 212-213 and Perriello and Connolly voted with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the people of the Commonwealth. (They opted instead for a weak, fig leaf bill intended to provide them political cover.) How someone like Perriello who describes himself as a “National Security Analyst” could cast such a boneheaded vote is beyond me. Connolly, well, there’s a reason why we call him “The Big Doofus,” so we aren’t all that surprised. At least not as surprised as Connolly was when he was told that some of these people might be brought to Northern Virginia.
Filed under: Democrats, Gerry "Hit and Run" Connolly, Morons, Virginia Politics, World War III
The GITMO prison has been a symbol of the Bush regime’s cavalier attitude with regard to our Constitution, their rendition of prisoners to other countries so that they could be tortured and the imprisonment of American citizens without trial.
The sooner that the GITMO chapter of the book about the Bush debacle is closed, the better.
If closing GITMO requires some of those still awaiting trial to be housed in Virginia, then such an act will not make Virginians any more of a target of terrorists than the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, have not already done.
If Republicans want to get back on the winning track, then the leadership needs to drop that Jack Bauer attitude and reacquaint themselves with our Constitution and attempt to become champions of our citizens’ civil liberties.
Perriello is working on the ANAL part of “Analyst.” It’s just that he can’t tell his a$$ from a hole in the ground.
Republicans win when we rise above the sort of personal attacks like Ron.
i hope this sinks Perriello.
[...] Also, voting in favor of Speaker Pelosi’s plan to bring Gitmo detainees to the U.S. was Rep. Gerry Connolly. While this is no surprise, as Connolly is a puppet for Pelosi, it should be particularly concerning for those within the 11th, especially if the prisoners are relocated to Virginia. National security should be of importance to Connolly, as he represents a district that has more government workers, who commute to Alexandria (a site, where the detainees could be placed). Of course, this doesn’t matter to Connolly, as evidenced in this video (H/T to Virginia Virtucon). [...]
Sheesh! No one can take a bad pun anymore!
Ron, you’re an asshole, and the Republican Party is better off without you. Let’s learn from a different Ron, Ronald Reagan, and focus on optimism about what’s best with America instead of fear mongering.
[...] voted with Speaker Pelosi on an amendment to allow for funds to close Guantanamo Bay facility and move those detainees to Virginia. Connolly voted against an amendment, offered by Rep. Lewis of California, that would have [...]
[...] June 19, 2009 · Leave a Comment From the NRCC (via Crystal Clear Conservative and Virginia Virtucon) [...]
Did it ever occur to anyone that if we send the detainees to other countries, it is conceivable that security would not be the same as our standards. I’d rather see the criminals housed in Supermax in Colorado and would rather have the Marines guarding them in Quantico vs, 3rd world dictator holding behind a barbed wire fence. If Gitmo is to remain open, we could re-frame it to get the torture stigma removed …and while we are on it, why the hell cant we bring them to trial and dispose of them thru the courts, military or civil!!!
How about we just put them up in your spare bedroom, Ken?
This is an extremely stupid issue for us Republicans to be flogging. It’s a legitimate discussion as to whether it’s a good or bad idea to close Gitmo as a detention camp. But the idea that Republicans, or Virginians, or any other group to which I have an allegiance, flinch from the responsibility of being involved in efforts to rid the world of terrorists is one that makes us all look like buck-passing sissies. Every state in the Union ought to be willing and proud to say so to take a few of these bad guys. This whole phony issue gets fanned up every few weeks and always sounds like a bunch of pantywaist NIMBY-ists whining about having to be engaged in the biggest issue of our times. Ken Russell’s point is similarly valid. I feel a lot more comfortable that one of these types is not going to hurt me or my family if he’s in the brig at Quantico than if he’s in the keep in Riyadh.
meant “Ken Reynolds” – Ken Russell’s movies must have left a lasting impression. Sorry about that.
GFR,
Ahh, the same Ronald Reagan would not have engaged in the kind of name calling against other Republicans (and I’m old enough to remember him and to have voted for him). Some “Republican” you are!
Ken,
I think part of the confusion is whether or not these terrorists really have rights as you describe. They were non-uniformed combatants caught making war on our troops and our population. Frankly, I would rather have them out in the Aleutians somewhere.
One of the problems I see with other countries housing them is a repeat of the 1970s. The terrorists’ allies would start taking hostages demanding these other countries free their comrades. Yeah, I suppose it could happen to us again, but why spread that kind of risk?
So what would you do if we executed these terrorists?
Very good post!! Whether they have rights? I thought that if that cannot be addressed in civil courts, then the Military courts would deal with them if viewed as being involved in a war…..if they are terrorists, they should be dealt with as such…..and shooting them…….well, i just dont think its a viable option. isure wouldnt given the margin of error of shooting the wrong people!
[...] against it. Should it come down to being razor thin and he has to cast the deciding vote — as he did on legislation that would open the door for al Qaeda terrorists being held at Gitmo to be … — look for him to be pressured to vote with the House Democrat [...]