Obama Changes His Mind - No To Release of Guantanamo Photo’s – Court to Decide – Dick Cheney’s Points on National Security Taken to Heart

Barack Obama with Dick Cheney - photo cfnews13

In a stunning reversal of policy, President Obama has decided to block the release of photographs of alleged abuse of terrorists (enemy combatants) at Guantanamo Bay. The decision on Wednesday, as reported by the New York Times, reverses his previous decision not to block the release of the photographs. In doing so, the President has made a smart decision – regardless of some critics who point out that the Courts will be left with the decision, and any anger from the left will be aimed at the Courts rather than the President and his administration. An AP analysis suggests that the administrations claim of finding a new legal argument for preventing the release of the photographs is false; and that the reversal is merely political, aimed at protecting the President from the angry left. That said, the President’s decision, based on national security issues, as noted by Press Secretary Gibbs, shows a level of understanding of the scope of the global impact of the war on terror that appeared to be previously absent. One may also give credit to former Vice President Dick Cheney, who in recent weeks has kept up a continual assault on the administration, specifically hammering home the dangers of releasing said photographs. Cheney, who is not the most outspoken individual, had ratcheted up the criticism to unprecedented heights – one must assume that given Cheney’s background, motivation for the barrage was based on national security, not party affiliation. It's all possibly relative that DNA played a factor and similar decisions can be seen coming out of the Administration should Cheney, once again, be as vocally aggressive on issues of National Security..

Obama’s initial decision to approve the release of the photographs was a sticking point with Senate Republicans, and rightly so. The release of photographs from Abu Ghraib prison produced a backlash across the Middle East, and further placed an additional threat on U.S. forces in the field. Regardless f the fact, that by global standards of torture, the Abu Ghraib photographs were rather benign, they were a rallying point for the left, and those militant Islamic groups who would grasp at any straw as an excuse to attack the U.S. and its interests. Although, not armed with a crystal ball, one must imagine that any photographs of Guantanamo detainees being “tortured”, would be equally or less benign that those from the Iraqi Prison, given the fact that prisoners at Guantanamo are treated exceptionally well compared to those held in U.S. prisons (where, it can be argued, life behind bars in the U.S., although restraining offers amenities that would not be found outside the U.S.).

In reversing his decision, the President, regardless of any alleged motive, moves to protect American Troops and, as a bonus, serves to remove a possible Al Qaeda/Taliban recruiting tool as well as angering those on the fringe (Daily Kos) who see Presidents decision as “illegal” . However, in a recent Rasmussen Poll regarding the release of detainees from Guantanamo, 75% of those polled, objected to detainees being moved to the U.S. Homeland. It is not a stretch to imagine that a high percentage would also object to the release of said photographs. Therefore, Obama has moved to the center right on this particular issue, which is indicative of the majority of the American voting bloc, regardless of Party affiliation. Although one can well imagine that the New York Times editorial board will be somewhat disappointed, as its constant drumbeat of “horror” over Abu Ghraib, kept the “controversy” in the public arena for months on end the decision will set well with the majority of the American Public.

Joe Lieberman – Introducing the New Independent Republican Party.

Last night Joe Lieberman addressed the Republican Convention and made a direct appeal to moderates across the nation, regardless of party lines, to take a long look at McCain and cast their vote in November for a Republican. Although the party faithful Democrats are up-in-arms about Joe’s speech, those Progressives who would have replaced him in a heartbeat with an Obama clone two years ago, one can’t be sure how that appeal affected the likely voters that are on the fringe - moderate Democrats as well as Independents. In contrasting the speech given by Zell Miller in 2004, which was a fiery lecture regarding the basic values that Miller felt had been abandoned by his party, Lieberman looked to history and gave a spot-on analysis of what the first President felt was wrong with party partisanship and how one-day it that partisanship – putting party first - might lead to a division within the nation that would cripple the government. His references to Barrack Obama were polite, yet they pointed to the lack of experience and the partisanship shown in Obama’s short time in his national Senate seat.

Lieberman is being called “Brave by some for crossing the aisle and incurring the wrath of his party. Threats have been made, by the likes of Harry Reid, that Lieberman could face the loss of a coveted Committee Seat should he not blindly follow the party. The fact that anyone would think a place of prominence in a given political party should concern an American or hold a Public Servant hostage is mind-boggling. When one compares the various “Party” experiences of both McCain and Palin with those of Joe Lieberman - a theme of true independence occurs. Many in the within the rank and file of the Democrats feel, and rightly so, that their party has been hijacked by Progressives (Socialist-Communists), turning the once inclusive party into a elite machine (See DNC Reform and PUMA), while most within the Republican party have been Independent (the rank and file and those outside of the Beltway), and the party, although much maligned, was the original party of inclusion and has historically, done more to promote those who may by gender or ethnicity, be targeted as “owned” by the other party.

Now that Joe Lieberman has thrown down the gauntlet, so to speak, and invited independents, rather those who care more about the country rather than a political party, to join with him in what amounts to a reform movement, a movement not only for the country but a movement within a party for the good of our nation.

As the far left members of the Democrat Party (or more appropriately the Progressive Democrat Party by virtue of its leadership), has, in recent days, shown that fascism and fanaticism know no bounds. In the past few days, Democrats have released the SS number and Home Address of VP Nominee, Sarah Palin, sympathetic media outlets such as Move-on.org, The New York Times, the Daily Kos (who works for Howard Dean, disclaimer on Home page), and the Huffington Post have placed unusual amounts of emphasis on Palin’s family personal matters – and Howie Carr, WRKO Boston, reported that one that had gone so far as to offer a reward to anyone who can come up with dirt on the family. Fascism anyone?

There has always been party rivalry, but that has been tempered with decency – within recent years, decency has fallen by the wayside, in favor of any tactic, including slander, in order to place the Democrat ticket at the top. As an independent minded American who, granted, leans conservative, the choice has become increasingly clear – there simply is no alternative to a McCain-Palin ticket – it is the New Independent Republican Ticket that offers real change that is backed up by the players resumes - not an empty “Yes we can” (borrowed from a Massachusetts governors campaign), that does not offer a resume or any certainty that there will not be four more years of the same partisanship that our first President, George Washington, predicted.