It's nice to know…

…that the government's doing something well. It's even better when you know the news is gonna drive Dick Cheney crazy crazier. John Brennan, President Obama's assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism, via Jake Tapper...

"Intelligence Community assesses that 20 percent of detainees transferred from Guantanamo are confirmed or suspected of recidivist activity…

...I want to underscore the fact that all of these cases relate to detainees released during the previous administration and under the prior detainee review process. The report indicates no confirmed or suspected recidivists among detainees transferred during this Administration, although we recognize the ongoing risk that detainees could engage in such activity."

Leaves you wondering, of course, what percentage of detainees never had any terrorist history to recede to in the first place.

Score one for the good guys.

Two, even. Congress strikes a blow for adulthood...

WASHINGTON — Congressional negotiators have agreed to drop amendments to a supplemental appropriations bill that would have banned the release of photos depicting alleged detainee abuse and would have restricted bringing Guantanamo detainees to the United States.

Personally, I don't see any need to display more torture pictures except as exhibits at the trials of those who created the conditions and policies that made those pictures possible - even inevitable - but a Congressional ban is an idea worthy only of it's sponsors (Lieberman and Graham), who aren't worthy of the support of their peers on either side of the aisle. The whole "no prisoners on US soil" is part and parcel of the same scairdy-cat syndrome.

Nice to see the grownups in charge for a change.

From the Department of Redundancy Department.

Cheney lied.

Well, yeah…

John "Boner" Boehner on the Gitmo internees...

"Republicans oppose releasing these terrorists or importing them into our local communities."

…Democrats do too. We're about prosecuting and imprisoning them. You know, the whole "rule of law" thing.

Of course, the residents of Florence don't consider the inmates at the Super Max part of their "local community" anyway. They don't lose any of 'em, either.

Yep.

Nick Beaudrot...

But at the moment, there ought to be a strong presumption that Obama and his team understand how to "make[] people who critisize him look like fools".

Everytime someone says "Obama must!" and he doesn't, it seems to work out for Obama. Everytime someone says "Obama must not!" and he does, it seems to work out for Obama.

Maybe Obama knows what he's doing. That's my bet, and, apparently, Nick's.

From the "Good question" file.

President Obama has one...

"How many terrorists have actually been brought to justice under the philosophy that is being promoted by Vice President Cheney?"

A lower number, I'm sure, than how many non-terrorists have been subjected to injustice under that philosophy.

Hat tip to Steve Benen.

Headlines.

Obama Moves to Quickly Erase Bush's Legacy

Senate approves landmark equal pay legislation

Obama sends a message: the United States will not torture

Senate Confirms More Obama Nominees

Obama Orders Secret Prisons and Detention Camps Closed

Are we having fun yet?

Imagine there's no torture.

No Gitmo, neither.

We're not the only ones. The President-elect agrees.

Howie's got video. I've got another reason to feel better about my country.

Shorter Bush.

Dear world...

Unlike most of you, we haven't made any progress for sixty years.

I thought he took advice from his Generals?

Why not, then, from an Admiral? The top Admiral. The top flag officer in the whole United States armed forces? Via Think Progress...

“I’d like to see it shut down,” Adm. Mike Mullen said of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. Asked why he thinks Guantanamo Bay should be closed, and the prisoners perhaps moved to U.S. soil, Mullen said, “More than anything else it’s been the image — how Gitmo has become around the world, in terms of representing the United States. … I believe that from the standpoint of how it reflects on us that it’s been pretty damaging.” Nevertheless, Mullen said he’s “not aware that there is any immediate consideration to closing Guantanamo Bay” inside the Bush administration.

When an Admiral (or General) says "pretty damaging" he means "to my mission," which translates to "gets my troops killed." Admirals and Generals care about stuff like that, even if the Bush gang doesn't.

Close it down.