Democrats should listen to reason, not fear

After battling Republicans over his economic stimulus plan last winter, President Obama responded to a question about working with Republicans in the future by saying, “I’m an eternal optimist. That doesn’t mean I’m a sap.”

Obviously it’s Congressional Democrats that are the saps. Last week, when given the opportunity to support Obama’s intention to close down the Guantanamo Bay prison camp they linked arms with the likes of Senators Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) and Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), and far-right talk show host Sean Hannity and chanted, “Not in my backyard.” Metaphorically, of course.

What Obama needs from his fellow Democrats right now is a little spine.

You’d think that they would have already learned their lesson. Fear-mongering and a win at any costs mentality got us into Iraq, resulted in torture of people in our custody, and led to warrantless eavesdropping on Americans.

Whenever Republicans conjure up the image of a future terrorist attack, Democrats start shaking like Chihuahuas and visualizing the direct mail pieces that Republican interest groups will send about how they protect freedom-hating terrorists.

Or so it seems.

Come on. Obama needs Congressional Democrats to fight for him when he takes on the Herculean task of passing health care reform this year.

If what we’ve seen this week on Guantanamo is any indicator, Republicans, big-pharma and the health insurance lobby will win that one, since Democrats roll right over when faced with the Republican scare machine.

I admit that Dick Cheney alone is enough to scare anyone.

Let’s deal with the facts and not exaggerated fears. As President Obama stated in Thursday’s national security speech:

Nobody has ever escaped from one of our federal, supermax prisons, which hold hundreds of convicted terrorists. As Republican Lindsey Graham said, the idea that we cannot find a place to securely house 250-plus detainees within the United States is not rational.

Guantanamo's mere existence is a recruiting tool for terrorists. Holding prisoners off our shores in order to avoid placing them in the American legal system is an abrogation of the basic American principles of justice, fairness and the equal application of the law.

President Obama wants to put principles over fear.

I have confidence that the American people are more interested in doing what is right to protect this country than in political posturing...If we continue to make decisions within a climate of fear, we will make more mistakes.

Let’s work on correcting the thoughtless, devious, and mistaken policies of the Bush error instead of creating new problems for ourselves.