I had Hope things would Change, but Obama has not yet honored our Party Platform on which he ran.

[jody]

To build a freer and safer world, we will lead in ways that reflect the decency and aspirations of the American people. We will not ship away prisoners in the dead of night to be tortured in far- off countries, or detain without trial or charge prisoners who can and should be brought to justice for their crimes, or maintain a network of secret prisons to jail people beyond the reach of the law. We will respect the time-honored principle of habeas corpus, the seven century-old right of individuals to challenge the terms of their own detention that was recently reaffirmed by our Supreme Court. We will close the detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, the location of so many of the worst constitutional abuses in recent years. With these necessary changes, the attention of the world will be directed where it belongs: on what terrorists have done to us, not on how we treat suspects.

THE 2008 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL PLATFORM, RENEWING AMERICA’S PROMISE

[Autumn]

1. Lot of wonderful ideas thrown

to the side from that platform. Had some of those things been done we would not be in the shape we are today. K/R

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[jody]

3. Why has Obama been unable to close Guantanamo? He's president and has authority to take us

to war in Libya and expand Bush's war in Afghanistan.

Surely he has authority to close Guantanamo.

Obama's a big boy and shouldn't need you or anyone else to apologize for him.

[moobu2]

6. Obama is not a dictator

It would be irresponsible of him not to consider the political realities. Not enough of our side had his back either.

[MasonJar]

20. Is that? The same political realities that we disparaged Bush for taking

into account? Those like what will the corporations like!!!!

[Azathoth]

10. Congress has made closing Guantanamo effectively illegal

Look up the 2011 Defense Authorization bill. You can thank the Democrats in Congress for that one.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[AtomicKitten]

15. +1

:thumbsup:

[ProSense]

4. So

highlighting paragraphs means he has "not yet honored our Party Platform on which he ran"?

We will not ship away prisoners in the dead of night to be tortured in far- off countries, or detain without trial or charge prisoners who can and should be brought to justice for their crimes, or maintain a network of secret prisons to jail people beyond the reach of the law.

Where is your evidence that the administration is engaged in this practice?

Obama Executive Order opposes rendition torture and establishes Special Task Force

As for Guantanamo, are you going to acknowledge Congress' role?

President Obama Correctly Rebukes Congressional Attempt To Hinder Transfer Of Guantánamo Detainees To U.S.

<...>

Even that last sentence is awkward -- the Attorney General "changed his mind" after Congress "imposed a series of restrictions"? That's a bit like saying I changed my mind about getting up after I was tied to my chair.

Holder told reporters this afternoon that his original decision was still the right one, but blamed Congress for "tying our hands."

He happens to be right. Even today, Holder wants to do the right thing, and so does President Obama. And yet, Gitmo is open today, and KSM will be subjected to a military commission in the near future, not because of an administration that backed down in the face of far-right whining, but because congressional Republicans orchestrated a massive, choreographed freak-out, and scared the bejesus out of congressional Democrats. Together, they limited the White House's options to, in effect, not having any choice at all.

There's plenty of room for criticism of the administration, but those slamming Obama for "breaking his word" on this are blaming the wrong end of Pennsylvania Avenue.

link

[Autumn]

8. For Gitmo, I believe the blame ALL falls on

Congress. I very much appreciate that Obama did make the attempt.

[DevonRex]

16. Thank you.

[great white snark]

9. +1 and thank you.

It's hard to honor the platform when your own party pulls it out from underneath you.

[Autumn]

11. But... there were a lot of good ideas in the platform

that have been ignored or watered down till it has no effect on what we desperately needed. And on some of that, I blame Obama for his quest for bipartisanship. And those damn good for nothing blue dogs.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

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[Autumn]

18. It's the truth. The republicans are thugs

and Obama should know that you can not have ANY bipartisanship with them. He is at fault in that, because he keeps seeking it. There is no excusing that.

[moobu2]

5. I'm fairly satisfied that he did all that he could do under the circumstances

[DJ13]

7. Politicians always treat their platform as mere suggestions

It like were expected to just accept the lies or something.

[graywarrior]

12. What have WE done to change things?

[mkultra]

13. Im happy with his progress and I can see it moving forward

He is moving the detainees through trial and review so they can be placed. Unlike idiots like you, I know that the only other option is a full release of everyone and I im not interested in that.

[Keith Bee]

19. When was the last time.....

...that a President remained faithful to a platform?