BLOG.POLITICSTALKLIVEONLINE.COM
form foxnews.com using a controversial legislative tactic known as the "nuclear option
A top Senate Democrat for the first time Tuesday acknowledged that the party is prepared to deal with health care reform by using a controversial legislative tactic known as the "nuclear option."
With Republican Scott Brown seizing victory in the Massachusetts special election for U.S. Senate, Democrats are under pressure to quickly pass health care reform before he arrives -- since Brown will break the party's 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority.
Even before polls closed, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said "there are options to still pursue health care."
Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, outlined a combination of tactics to get what his party wants out of health care reform.
First, he said the House could simply approve the Senate bill, sending it straight to President Obama's desk.
Then, Durbin said, the Senate could make changes to the bill by using the nuclear option, known formally as "reconciliation," a tactic that would allow Democrats to adjust parts of health care reform with just a 51-vote majority.
"We could go to something called 'reconciliation', which is in the weeds procedurally, but would allow us to modify that health care bill by a different process that doesn't require 60 votes, only a majority," Durbin said. "So that is one possibility there."
Though House Democrats have major misgivings about the Senate version, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday suggested they'd be willing to consider approving the Senate bill intact, if the alternative is no bill at all. A majority of Democrats in that chamber are opposed to many provisions in the Senate-passed bill, including the controversial tax on high-cost insurance plans which the unions are vehemently against.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also expressed confidence Tuesday.
"We will have a reform bill," she said.
Though Democrats, including Durbin, have previously insisted reconciliation would not be used, key aides have quietly pointed to a change in circumstances with the unexpectedly competitive race in Massachusetts.
But reconciliation is not easy under any circumstances. Any measure that is passed under the process requires 51 votes for passage, but that measure's authors must pass strict legislative tests to show the bill deals only with taxes and spending to bring the legislation in line with the budget -- a move that its creators made back in 1974 to keep extraneous provisions from being passed under this expedited process.
Reconciliation might allow for Democrats to modify the excise tax, but it would not appear to allow for changes to abortion and immigration language, among some of the hot-button issues.
Republicans have decried the use of reconciliation for such a massive re-ordering of the nation's economy. To be sure, Republicans were the first to use the tactic outside its intended purpose, and they have used it most often for tax relief, but they say health care reform is different.
Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., the primary point person in the Senate for reconciliation matters as the top Republican on the Budget Committee, has called this "Chicago-style politics" and has vowed to raise scores of objections, called "points of order." There are about 13 different ways Republicans can challenge Democrats, and nearly all of these will require votes.
Durbin, in Chicago, said Democrats "haven't given up on finding other options. I hope some of the Republican senators who have at least been in conversations with us in the past will join us in passing health care reform."
But that's not too likely. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., could possibly have pushed away the only Republican in that chamber, moderate Olympia Snowe of Maine, open to working with the Democrats on health care. She told The New York Times that she had "no intention of ever working anything out," calling it "a waste of time dealing with her."
Under the current process, negotiators are trying to hammer out a compromise that both chambers would still have to vote on. But if Brown wins, this laborious process could drag on past his swearing-in ceremony.
With Republican Scott Brown seizing victory in the Massachusetts special election for U.S. Senate, Democrats are under pressure to quickly pass health care reform before he arrives -- since Brown will break the party's 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority.
Even before polls closed, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said "there are options to still pursue health care."
Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, outlined a combination of tactics to get what his party wants out of health care reform.
First, he said the House could simply approve the Senate bill, sending it straight to President Obama's desk.
Then, Durbin said, the Senate could make changes to the bill by using the nuclear option, known formally as "reconciliation," a tactic that would allow Democrats to adjust parts of health care reform with just a 51-vote majority.
"We could go to something called 'reconciliation', which is in the weeds procedurally, but would allow us to modify that health care bill by a different process that doesn't require 60 votes, only a majority," Durbin said. "So that is one possibility there."
Though House Democrats have major misgivings about the Senate version, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday suggested they'd be willing to consider approving the Senate bill intact, if the alternative is no bill at all. A majority of Democrats in that chamber are opposed to many provisions in the Senate-passed bill, including the controversial tax on high-cost insurance plans which the unions are vehemently against.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also expressed confidence Tuesday.
"We will have a reform bill," she said.
Though Democrats, including Durbin, have previously insisted reconciliation would not be used, key aides have quietly pointed to a change in circumstances with the unexpectedly competitive race in Massachusetts.
But reconciliation is not easy under any circumstances. Any measure that is passed under the process requires 51 votes for passage, but that measure's authors must pass strict legislative tests to show the bill deals only with taxes and spending to bring the legislation in line with the budget -- a move that its creators made back in 1974 to keep extraneous provisions from being passed under this expedited process.
Reconciliation might allow for Democrats to modify the excise tax, but it would not appear to allow for changes to abortion and immigration language, among some of the hot-button issues.
Republicans have decried the use of reconciliation for such a massive re-ordering of the nation's economy. To be sure, Republicans were the first to use the tactic outside its intended purpose, and they have used it most often for tax relief, but they say health care reform is different.
Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., the primary point person in the Senate for reconciliation matters as the top Republican on the Budget Committee, has called this "Chicago-style politics" and has vowed to raise scores of objections, called "points of order." There are about 13 different ways Republicans can challenge Democrats, and nearly all of these will require votes.
Durbin, in Chicago, said Democrats "haven't given up on finding other options. I hope some of the Republican senators who have at least been in conversations with us in the past will join us in passing health care reform."
But that's not too likely. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., could possibly have pushed away the only Republican in that chamber, moderate Olympia Snowe of Maine, open to working with the Democrats on health care. She told The New York Times that she had "no intention of ever working anything out," calling it "a waste of time dealing with her."
Under the current process, negotiators are trying to hammer out a compromise that both chambers would still have to vote on. But if Brown wins, this laborious process could drag on past his swearing-in ceremony.
President Obama Signs Executive Order Establishing Council of Governors
Written by Chuck Baldwin
Tuesday, 19 January 2010 17:00
The White House Office of the Press Secretary recently released a report on the White House website entitled "President Obama Signs Executive Order Establishing Council of Governors." The nature of this new Council of Governors and its powers raises the question is to whether it could become the precursor for a national police force.
According to the press release: "The President today [January 11, 2009] signed an Executive Order establishing a Council of Governors to strengthen further the partnership between the Federal Government and State Governments to protect our Nation against all types of hazards. When appointed, the Council will be reviewing such matters as involving the National Guard of the various States; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities."
According to the report, the Council will be composed of "ten State Governors who will be selected by the President to serve two year terms.... Once chosen, the Council will have no more than five members from the same party and represent the Nation as a whole."
The press release also states: "Federal members of the Council include the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs, the U.S. Northern Command Commander, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. The Secretary of Defense will designate an Executive Director for the Council."
As with most Presidential Directives or Executive Orders that have the potential to swallow our liberties and expand federal - or even international - police powers, the mainstream media conveniently fails to inform the American people as to what is happening. Such is the case with Obama's EO establishing a Council of Governors (COG). Therefore, it is left to independent writers to issue the alert. Thank God for the Internet!
As with any expansion of the federal government, this new Council of Governors needs to be monitored very carefully by freedom lovers. One blog rightly noted that the COG "clearly represents another assault on Posse Comitatus, the 1878 law that bars the military from exercising domestic police powers, which was temporarily annulled by the 2006 John Warner National Defense Authorization Act before parts of it were later repealed."
Another blogger wisely stated, "As with most government powers, there is always the potential for abuse. In this case, there is cause for serious concern because every bit of this entails expanding traditional Command in Chief powers to the DOD [Department of Defense], spreading troops around the US (potentially not American troops at that...) and deciding who has ultimate tactical command over reserves and Guard in the event of 'emergencies,' terrorist attacks, or natural disasters."
Actually, this EO is simply the latest in a series of events going back to the Bush and Clinton years, in which the federal government has taken steps to lay the foundation for extensive military police action within the United States.
Back in 2008, retired lawman Jim Kouri wrote:
In a political move that received little if any attention by the American news media, the United States and Canada entered into a military agreement on February 14, 2008, allowing the armed forces from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a domestic civil emergency, even one that does not involve a cross-border crisis, according to a police commander involved in homeland security planning and implementation.
It is an initiative of the Bi-National Planning Group whose final report, issued in June 2006, called for the creation of a "Comprehensive Defense and Security Agreement," or a "continental approach" to Canada-US defense and security.
The law enforcement executive told Newswithviews.com that the agreement - defined as a Civil Assistance Plan--was not submitted to Congress for debate and approval, nor did Congress pass any law or treaty specifically authorizing this military agreement to combine the operations of the armed forces of the United States and Canada in the event of domestic civil disturbances ranging from violent storms, to health epidemics, to civil riots or terrorists attacks.
"This is a military plan that's designed to bypass the Posse Comitatus Act that traditionally prohibited the US military from operating within the borders of the United States. Not only will American soldiers be deployed at the discretion of whomever is sitting in the Oval Office, but foreign soldiers will also be deployed in American cities," warns Lt. Steven Rodgers, commander of the Nutley, NJ Police Department's detective bureau.
Of course, the groundwork for this US-Canadian agreement occurred in 2002 when President G.W. Bush created USNORTHCOM. For the first time in U.S. history, an entire Army division has been tasked with "homeland defense efforts and to coordinate defense support of civil authorities." (Source: USNORTHCOM official website) Plus, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, which passed with almost unanimous bipartisan support, and was signed into law in January 2008 by then-President Bush, required the implementation of the COG.
Then, in June of 2009, USNORTHCOM sent a legislative proposal to Congress requesting "amending Title 10 of USC, expanding the Secretary of Defense's powers to mobilization of the Army Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Navy Reserve, and Marine Corps Reserve to assist civil authorities in disasters and emergencies ... 'thus enabling a truly Total Force approach to disaster response.'" (To see the full report, click here.)
Matthew Rothschild at The Progressive penned, "The Pentagon has approached Congress to grant the Secretary of Defense the authority to post almost 400,000 military personnel throughout the United States in times of emergency or a major disaster."
Concerning this, David Mundy at the Texas National Press commented:
If granted, the move would further erode the authority of the states and would minimize the role played by the states' militia . . . in handling domestic
issues.
More ominously, nothing in the Pentagon's request specifies that the troops to be posted in U.S. cities would necessarily be Americans.
The report notes that in September of 2009 USNORTHCOM released its 32-page initial framework for the "Tri Command," referring to NORAD, NORTHCOM, and Canada COM. It is noted that while NORTHCOM and Canada COM are national organizations, NORAD is set up as a binational force.
It is largely understood, therefore, that the Council of Governors has been established for the purpose of getting the governors' blessing on this newly accumulated power. In other words, the COG is Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Stockton's effort to establish a liaison between the governors, DHS, DOD, and the National Guard.
Of course, as the report suggests, what is not being disclosed is what powers will be conferred upon the 10 gubernatorial council members and what authorities they will be required to cede to the federal government.
Anyone who is not concerned about the ever-increasing encroachment of federal power upon the states and citizenry at large is either not paying attention, or is already a slave at heart. Instead of worrying about whether a gubernatorial or State legislative candidate is a conservative or liberal, Republican or Democrat, we need to be focusing on whether or not our State governors and legislators have the historical and constitutional acumen and resolve to resist the current dismantling of State sovereignty and personal liberty being orchestrated by this federal leviathan that is known as Washington, D.C.
We can survive hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, looters and thugs, blackouts, and even Muslim terrorists. What we cannot survive - at least not without great cost and effort - is tyranny at the hands of our own government. In this regard, our greatest threat is not foreign terrorists or natural disasters; our greatest threat is Washington, D.C.
So, while D.C. has an eye on this new Council of Governors, you'd better keep an eye on your governor as well - and keep the other eye on what's left of your liberties, because if those federal foxes come in the middle of the night and run off with them, it will be your governor that opened the door.
This column is archived at http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2009/cbarchive_20090721.html
Dr. Baldwin is the founder and pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. His sermons are LIVE every Sunday morning and people can tune in and watch the sermon at http://crossroadbaptist.net/live.html. He is a prolific writer/columnist whose articles and political commentaries are carried by a host of Internet sites, newspapers, and news magazines. Dr. Baldwin can be heard 49 times each week, on 15 different radio stations in Northwest Florida, lower Alabama, Central Florida, and parts of Virginia, Texas, and Utah. He has written two books, and he was the 2008 Presidential candidate for the Constitution Party.
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
Tuesday, 19 January 2010 17:00
The White House Office of the Press Secretary recently released a report on the White House website entitled "President Obama Signs Executive Order Establishing Council of Governors." The nature of this new Council of Governors and its powers raises the question is to whether it could become the precursor for a national police force.
According to the press release: "The President today [January 11, 2009] signed an Executive Order establishing a Council of Governors to strengthen further the partnership between the Federal Government and State Governments to protect our Nation against all types of hazards. When appointed, the Council will be reviewing such matters as involving the National Guard of the various States; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities."
According to the report, the Council will be composed of "ten State Governors who will be selected by the President to serve two year terms.... Once chosen, the Council will have no more than five members from the same party and represent the Nation as a whole."
The press release also states: "Federal members of the Council include the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs, the U.S. Northern Command Commander, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. The Secretary of Defense will designate an Executive Director for the Council."
As with most Presidential Directives or Executive Orders that have the potential to swallow our liberties and expand federal - or even international - police powers, the mainstream media conveniently fails to inform the American people as to what is happening. Such is the case with Obama's EO establishing a Council of Governors (COG). Therefore, it is left to independent writers to issue the alert. Thank God for the Internet!
As with any expansion of the federal government, this new Council of Governors needs to be monitored very carefully by freedom lovers. One blog rightly noted that the COG "clearly represents another assault on Posse Comitatus, the 1878 law that bars the military from exercising domestic police powers, which was temporarily annulled by the 2006 John Warner National Defense Authorization Act before parts of it were later repealed."
Another blogger wisely stated, "As with most government powers, there is always the potential for abuse. In this case, there is cause for serious concern because every bit of this entails expanding traditional Command in Chief powers to the DOD [Department of Defense], spreading troops around the US (potentially not American troops at that...) and deciding who has ultimate tactical command over reserves and Guard in the event of 'emergencies,' terrorist attacks, or natural disasters."
Actually, this EO is simply the latest in a series of events going back to the Bush and Clinton years, in which the federal government has taken steps to lay the foundation for extensive military police action within the United States.
Back in 2008, retired lawman Jim Kouri wrote:
In a political move that received little if any attention by the American news media, the United States and Canada entered into a military agreement on February 14, 2008, allowing the armed forces from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a domestic civil emergency, even one that does not involve a cross-border crisis, according to a police commander involved in homeland security planning and implementation.
It is an initiative of the Bi-National Planning Group whose final report, issued in June 2006, called for the creation of a "Comprehensive Defense and Security Agreement," or a "continental approach" to Canada-US defense and security.
The law enforcement executive told Newswithviews.com that the agreement - defined as a Civil Assistance Plan--was not submitted to Congress for debate and approval, nor did Congress pass any law or treaty specifically authorizing this military agreement to combine the operations of the armed forces of the United States and Canada in the event of domestic civil disturbances ranging from violent storms, to health epidemics, to civil riots or terrorists attacks.
"This is a military plan that's designed to bypass the Posse Comitatus Act that traditionally prohibited the US military from operating within the borders of the United States. Not only will American soldiers be deployed at the discretion of whomever is sitting in the Oval Office, but foreign soldiers will also be deployed in American cities," warns Lt. Steven Rodgers, commander of the Nutley, NJ Police Department's detective bureau.
Of course, the groundwork for this US-Canadian agreement occurred in 2002 when President G.W. Bush created USNORTHCOM. For the first time in U.S. history, an entire Army division has been tasked with "homeland defense efforts and to coordinate defense support of civil authorities." (Source: USNORTHCOM official website) Plus, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, which passed with almost unanimous bipartisan support, and was signed into law in January 2008 by then-President Bush, required the implementation of the COG.
Then, in June of 2009, USNORTHCOM sent a legislative proposal to Congress requesting "amending Title 10 of USC, expanding the Secretary of Defense's powers to mobilization of the Army Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Navy Reserve, and Marine Corps Reserve to assist civil authorities in disasters and emergencies ... 'thus enabling a truly Total Force approach to disaster response.'" (To see the full report, click here.)
Matthew Rothschild at The Progressive penned, "The Pentagon has approached Congress to grant the Secretary of Defense the authority to post almost 400,000 military personnel throughout the United States in times of emergency or a major disaster."
Concerning this, David Mundy at the Texas National Press commented:
If granted, the move would further erode the authority of the states and would minimize the role played by the states' militia . . . in handling domestic
issues.
More ominously, nothing in the Pentagon's request specifies that the troops to be posted in U.S. cities would necessarily be Americans.
The report notes that in September of 2009 USNORTHCOM released its 32-page initial framework for the "Tri Command," referring to NORAD, NORTHCOM, and Canada COM. It is noted that while NORTHCOM and Canada COM are national organizations, NORAD is set up as a binational force.
It is largely understood, therefore, that the Council of Governors has been established for the purpose of getting the governors' blessing on this newly accumulated power. In other words, the COG is Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Stockton's effort to establish a liaison between the governors, DHS, DOD, and the National Guard.
Of course, as the report suggests, what is not being disclosed is what powers will be conferred upon the 10 gubernatorial council members and what authorities they will be required to cede to the federal government.
Anyone who is not concerned about the ever-increasing encroachment of federal power upon the states and citizenry at large is either not paying attention, or is already a slave at heart. Instead of worrying about whether a gubernatorial or State legislative candidate is a conservative or liberal, Republican or Democrat, we need to be focusing on whether or not our State governors and legislators have the historical and constitutional acumen and resolve to resist the current dismantling of State sovereignty and personal liberty being orchestrated by this federal leviathan that is known as Washington, D.C.
We can survive hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, looters and thugs, blackouts, and even Muslim terrorists. What we cannot survive - at least not without great cost and effort - is tyranny at the hands of our own government. In this regard, our greatest threat is not foreign terrorists or natural disasters; our greatest threat is Washington, D.C.
So, while D.C. has an eye on this new Council of Governors, you'd better keep an eye on your governor as well - and keep the other eye on what's left of your liberties, because if those federal foxes come in the middle of the night and run off with them, it will be your governor that opened the door.
This column is archived at http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2009/cbarchive_20090721.html
Dr. Baldwin is the founder and pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. His sermons are LIVE every Sunday morning and people can tune in and watch the sermon at http://crossroadbaptist.net/live.html. He is a prolific writer/columnist whose articles and political commentaries are carried by a host of Internet sites, newspapers, and news magazines. Dr. Baldwin can be heard 49 times each week, on 15 different radio stations in Northwest Florida, lower Alabama, Central Florida, and parts of Virginia, Texas, and Utah. He has written two books, and he was the 2008 Presidential candidate for the Constitution Party.
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
*** Email entry ***
DEVELOPING ...
Republican Scott Brown is the winner of the Massachusetts race for U.S. Senate.
The state senator whose campaign surged in the final weeks of the race becomes the first Republican to be elected to the Senate from the Bay State since 1972.
He also breaks the Democrats' 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority in Washington, posing big problems for President Obama's agenda.
ORIGINAL STORY ...
related links
a.. RAW DATA: Scott Brown Biography
b.. RAW DATA: Martha Coakley Biography
Republican Scott Brown has taken the lead in the Massachusetts special election for U.S. Senate, an unexpectedly competitive contest that could have significant implications for President Obama's agenda in Washington.
With 69 percent of precincts reporting, returns show Brown leading Democrat Martha Coakley 53-46 percent. Independent candidate Joseph Kennedy is pulling 1 percent.
Coakley leads among Boston voters, but Brown is doing better in suburban and rural districts. The Republican is leading by more than 90,000 votes.
Brown is poised to break the Democrats' supermajority in the Senate. His late-in-the-game surge in the state has commanded the attention of the Democratic Party establishment, which dispatched top officials over the past week to try to keep the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy in Democratic hands. Coakley, the state attorney general, was thought to be a shoo-in for the seat until Brown starting gaining rapidly in the polls.
Other preliminary numbers showed Brown faring better than Republican John McCain did in Massachusetts in the 2008 presidential election. Data from several cities showed him running up to 25 points higher than McCain did. He needs to run about 15 points higher than McCain across the board to take the election.
Rasmussen Reports released some data from its election night survey of 1,000 voters that had positive signs for Coakley. The survey found Coakley had a slight edge, 47-to-41 percent, among those who decided how they would vote in the past few days. Rasmussen reported she had a "big advantage" among those who decided who to vote for more than a month ago.
Voter interest in the race for U.S. Senate seemed high throughout the day. With the state poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the balance of power in Washington, poll workers reported a steady stream of voters at the ballot box despite the snow.
Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin was predicting turnout could be as high as 50 percent.
The two candidates are far apart on the issues, but even in this heavily Democratic state Brown built an insurgent campaign that started resonating with voters at just the right time.
"This is going to be the most significant special election in modern American history if Scott Brown wins," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. He predicted a Brown win would buoy every other "long-shot" Republican candidate in the country and add fuel to the party's momentum going into the midterms this fall.
More immediately, a Brown win would pose big problems for Obama's agenda items, not the least of which is health care reform. Brown, should he win, would break the Democrats' 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority, sending Democrats into a scramble to pass the health care bill before he arrives.
Though Republicans have occasionally been a political force in state politics, Massachusetts voters have not sent a Republican to represent them in the U.S. Senate since 1972. Every member of the state delegation currently in Washington is a Democrat.
Democrats outnumber Republicans 3-to-1 in the state -- 37 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 12 percent are Republicans and 51 percent are unaffiliated. Obama won the state by 26 percentage points in the 2008 presidential election.
Brown's campaign marked an upset just by being as competitive as it was against Coakley's.
The campaigns have been inundated with help from outside the state. Obama and former President Bill Clinton both came to campaign rallies for Coakley, and Obama appeared in a television ad.
"Every vote matters, every voice matters," Obama said in the ad. "We need you on Tuesday."
Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., pitched in by having his campaign team make phone calls to get people out to the polls. According to one Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee staff member who stayed behind in Washington, it was all hands on deck in the Bay State.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee in Washington also has "emptied out the building" of staff to send nearly everyone to Massachusetts to help Brown get out the vote. The NRSC reportedly quietly shifted $500,000 to help Brown's campaign in the last two weeks.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, contacted his extensive and valuable fundraising lists on behalf of Brown last week. Independent tea party organizations are also offering phone banking support to Brown.
"I came up to help out because of the excitement, we have so many people turning up at our volunteer phone banks we have to turn them away," said one such Republican operative, "Stuff like this is why I got into politics."
Lt. Gov. Tim Murray noted that the race closed its 15-point gap in recent weeks because of the increased attention but Republicans have typically run close races in the state despite a 3-1 Democratic to Republican voter registration gap.
"You can't take any election for granted in Massachusetts, probably, or anywhere around the country these days," he said.
Indeed, the swift rise of Brown, a relatively low-profile Republican state senator, in his race against the state attorney general has spooked Democrats who had considered the seat one of their most reliable.
Kennedy, who died in August, held the post for 47 years.
Brown has tried to turn Democrats' expectation of an easy win to his advantage, proclaiming, "It's not the Kennedy seat, it's the people's seat."
A Suffolk University survey taken Saturday and Sunday showed Brown with double-digit leads in three communities the poll identified as bellwethers: Gardner, Fitchburg and Peabody. But internal statewide polls for both sides showed a dead heat.
The third candidate, Joseph Kennedy, a Libertarian running as an independent, said he's been bombarded with e-mails from Brown supporters urging him to drop out and endorse the Republican. Kennedy, who was polling in the single digits and is no relation to the late senator, said he's staying in.
Fox News' Trish Turner, Molly Line and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
Republican Scott Brown is the winner of the Massachusetts race for U.S. Senate.
The state senator whose campaign surged in the final weeks of the race becomes the first Republican to be elected to the Senate from the Bay State since 1972.
He also breaks the Democrats' 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority in Washington, posing big problems for President Obama's agenda.
ORIGINAL STORY ...
related links
a.. RAW DATA: Scott Brown Biography
b.. RAW DATA: Martha Coakley Biography
Republican Scott Brown has taken the lead in the Massachusetts special election for U.S. Senate, an unexpectedly competitive contest that could have significant implications for President Obama's agenda in Washington.
With 69 percent of precincts reporting, returns show Brown leading Democrat Martha Coakley 53-46 percent. Independent candidate Joseph Kennedy is pulling 1 percent.
Coakley leads among Boston voters, but Brown is doing better in suburban and rural districts. The Republican is leading by more than 90,000 votes.
Brown is poised to break the Democrats' supermajority in the Senate. His late-in-the-game surge in the state has commanded the attention of the Democratic Party establishment, which dispatched top officials over the past week to try to keep the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy in Democratic hands. Coakley, the state attorney general, was thought to be a shoo-in for the seat until Brown starting gaining rapidly in the polls.
Other preliminary numbers showed Brown faring better than Republican John McCain did in Massachusetts in the 2008 presidential election. Data from several cities showed him running up to 25 points higher than McCain did. He needs to run about 15 points higher than McCain across the board to take the election.
Rasmussen Reports released some data from its election night survey of 1,000 voters that had positive signs for Coakley. The survey found Coakley had a slight edge, 47-to-41 percent, among those who decided how they would vote in the past few days. Rasmussen reported she had a "big advantage" among those who decided who to vote for more than a month ago.
Voter interest in the race for U.S. Senate seemed high throughout the day. With the state poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the balance of power in Washington, poll workers reported a steady stream of voters at the ballot box despite the snow.
Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin was predicting turnout could be as high as 50 percent.
The two candidates are far apart on the issues, but even in this heavily Democratic state Brown built an insurgent campaign that started resonating with voters at just the right time.
"This is going to be the most significant special election in modern American history if Scott Brown wins," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. He predicted a Brown win would buoy every other "long-shot" Republican candidate in the country and add fuel to the party's momentum going into the midterms this fall.
More immediately, a Brown win would pose big problems for Obama's agenda items, not the least of which is health care reform. Brown, should he win, would break the Democrats' 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority, sending Democrats into a scramble to pass the health care bill before he arrives.
Though Republicans have occasionally been a political force in state politics, Massachusetts voters have not sent a Republican to represent them in the U.S. Senate since 1972. Every member of the state delegation currently in Washington is a Democrat.
Democrats outnumber Republicans 3-to-1 in the state -- 37 percent of registered voters are Democrats, 12 percent are Republicans and 51 percent are unaffiliated. Obama won the state by 26 percentage points in the 2008 presidential election.
Brown's campaign marked an upset just by being as competitive as it was against Coakley's.
The campaigns have been inundated with help from outside the state. Obama and former President Bill Clinton both came to campaign rallies for Coakley, and Obama appeared in a television ad.
"Every vote matters, every voice matters," Obama said in the ad. "We need you on Tuesday."
Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., pitched in by having his campaign team make phone calls to get people out to the polls. According to one Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee staff member who stayed behind in Washington, it was all hands on deck in the Bay State.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee in Washington also has "emptied out the building" of staff to send nearly everyone to Massachusetts to help Brown get out the vote. The NRSC reportedly quietly shifted $500,000 to help Brown's campaign in the last two weeks.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, contacted his extensive and valuable fundraising lists on behalf of Brown last week. Independent tea party organizations are also offering phone banking support to Brown.
"I came up to help out because of the excitement, we have so many people turning up at our volunteer phone banks we have to turn them away," said one such Republican operative, "Stuff like this is why I got into politics."
Lt. Gov. Tim Murray noted that the race closed its 15-point gap in recent weeks because of the increased attention but Republicans have typically run close races in the state despite a 3-1 Democratic to Republican voter registration gap.
"You can't take any election for granted in Massachusetts, probably, or anywhere around the country these days," he said.
Indeed, the swift rise of Brown, a relatively low-profile Republican state senator, in his race against the state attorney general has spooked Democrats who had considered the seat one of their most reliable.
Kennedy, who died in August, held the post for 47 years.
Brown has tried to turn Democrats' expectation of an easy win to his advantage, proclaiming, "It's not the Kennedy seat, it's the people's seat."
A Suffolk University survey taken Saturday and Sunday showed Brown with double-digit leads in three communities the poll identified as bellwethers: Gardner, Fitchburg and Peabody. But internal statewide polls for both sides showed a dead heat.
The third candidate, Joseph Kennedy, a Libertarian running as an independent, said he's been bombarded with e-mails from Brown supporters urging him to drop out and endorse the Republican. Kennedy, who was polling in the single digits and is no relation to the late senator, said he's staying in.
Fox News' Trish Turner, Molly Line and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
*** Email entry ***
Well as you might of here or not that the Illinois have voted to close Thomasville prison. That one step closer to let the fed government to buy it and put the the prisoners of gomtia bay prison in illions and the most import thing is they will be on us soil. Now there is something we can do as America people as you know the electing are come up this year. And here at politicstalklive online are working on put up are own watch list for government official.
Next up are the list of senter that are up for reecltion this year
We will do are best to conact all of them to get them on are live call in show but can't be shure they will anwer are e-mail
Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas
Barbara Boxer of California
Michael Benet of Colorado
Christopher Dodd of Connecticut
Daniel Inouye of Hawaii
Roland Burris of Illinois
Evan Bayh of Indiana
Barbara Mikulski of Maryland
Harry Reid of Nevada
Kirsten Gillibrand of New York
Chuck Schumer of New York
Byron Dorgan of North Dakota
Ron Wyden of Oregon
Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania
Patrick Leahy of Vermont
Patty Murray of Washington
Russ Feingold of Wisconsin
Republican incumbents
Richard Shelby of Alabama
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
John McCain of Arizona
Johnny Isakson of Georgia
Mike Crapo of Idaho
Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Jim Bunning of Kentucky
David Vitter of Louisiana
Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
Richard Burr of North Carolina
Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
Jim DeMint of South Carolina
John Thune of South Dakota
Bob Bennett of Utah
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
*** Email entry ***
Welcome to politics talk live brought to you buy www.politicstalkliveonline.com and blog talk radio I am you host loud mouth county boy aka gocb we all way like you question and comment call us at (917) 889-3116
First lets start off the with some about the Thomas prison and the
Question
1. were are you people think the money is coming form to up date Thomason prison ?
2. And do you how was all the people involve with this set up?
3.was there any committee so the people of Thomason village ill can voice there question?
4. Ask your self these question and if you and answer no to any of these question . Stay tune to us as we answer these question for you and try to give you the up too the min news on this breaking story we all have sent out email to the senter Durbin .
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
First lets start off the with some about the Thomas prison and the
Question
1. were are you people think the money is coming form to up date Thomason prison ?
2. And do you how was all the people involve with this set up?
3.was there any committee so the people of Thomason village ill can voice there question?
4. Ask your self these question and if you and answer no to any of these question . Stay tune to us as we answer these question for you and try to give you the up too the min news on this breaking story we all have sent out email to the senter Durbin .
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
Recently stolen e-mails suggest global warming is just a hoax. The socialist wing of the government is going to take over health care in America. The stimulus package is a socialist redistribution of wealth. Terror suspects are going to be tried in New Yo
Recently stolen e-mails suggest global warming is just a hoax. The socialist wing of the government is going to take over health care in America. The stimulus package is a socialist redistribution of wealth. Terror suspects are going to be tried in New York, triggering new attacks on America. The Thomson maximum security prison will be targeted by terrorists to free their incarcerated brothers.
Are you scared? Well, you shouldn't be, you're on Republican scare tactics.
Even if global warming is not critical, we can no longer belch billions of tons of pollutants into the air and water. For supporters of Rush and Sarah, billions is bigger than thousands.
Death panels in America are sponsored by the insurance industry. Being a woman is a preexisting condition.
Soldiers are tried by military tribunals; thugs and terrorists are tried in federal court.
If you could get near the Thomson maximum security prison, you would not see little bearded terrorists in the yard playing soccer.
The stimulus package is designed to help real people and has been abused by greedy, corrupt money people.
There are those who openly hope the president fails. After the last eight years, they better pray he succeeds.
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
Are you scared? Well, you shouldn't be, you're on Republican scare tactics.
Even if global warming is not critical, we can no longer belch billions of tons of pollutants into the air and water. For supporters of Rush and Sarah, billions is bigger than thousands.
Death panels in America are sponsored by the insurance industry. Being a woman is a preexisting condition.
Soldiers are tried by military tribunals; thugs and terrorists are tried in federal court.
If you could get near the Thomson maximum security prison, you would not see little bearded terrorists in the yard playing soccer.
The stimulus package is designed to help real people and has been abused by greedy, corrupt money people.
There are those who openly hope the president fails. After the last eight years, they better pray he succeeds.
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
It was as if the empty prison cells were an echo chamber: Republicans repeated the same arguments, over and over, in opposing President Barack Obama's decision to house terrorism suspects at Thomson Correctional Center.
It was as if the empty prison cells were an echo chamber: Republicans repeated the same arguments, over and over, in opposing President Barack Obama's decision to house terrorism suspects at Thomson Correctional Center.
They are wrong; we repeat, wrong. The plan is not dangerous, it is supported by Thomson residents and it is past time to move the detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Thomson is a maximum-security prison about 100 miles southwest of Rockford. It has the capacity to house 1,600 inmates, but about 100 to 200 minimum-security inmates live there.
The prison cost $140 million to build eight years ago, but the state couldn't afford to keep it open.
A colossal waste of taxpayer dollars - an all-but-empty building - will be put to good use. Obama is right that Gitmo should be closed and the detainees moved. Bad things happened there, things that never should have happened in the name of our country: beating, choking and sleep deprivation among other tools of torture.
The U.S. needs to wipe the slate clean.
Republicans keep bringing up security concerns, but the prison will be made as safe as humanly possible.
In a letter to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Obama administration officials wrote that the prison "will be enhanced to exceed perimeter security standards at the nation's only 'supermax' prison in Florence, Colo., where there has never been an escape or external attack."
Yet, U.S. Rep. Donald Manzullo and fellow Republicans persist in calling Thomson a potential terrorist target.
Republicans' real motive, political sabotage, is apparent in their name for Thomson: Gitmo North.
Obama has assured the public he has no intention of ever releasing the 100 detainees set to be moved from Guantanamo to Thomson. They will either be held indefinitely, tried in military tribunals at the prison or relocated to other countries.
The Department of Defense will operate the part of the prison that houses the detainees; the rest of the facility will house federal inmates and be operated by the Bureau of Prisons.
We're uneasy supporting the Thomson plan based on economic factors alone. However, it's hard to tune out the local residents who welcome the prospect of as many as 3,000 more jobs. Unemployment in Carroll County was 11 percent in October.
If residents are comfortable with the government's pledge to protect them with a supermax-to-end-all-supermaxes at Thomson, who are politicians 850 miles away in Washington to argue?
We have been most impressed with state Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica, who supports the Thomson plan. Sacia worked for the FBI for 30 years. He says the prisoners would be war detainees, and the fear they would be let out to be treated in hospitals "is a lot of hooey."
After all, there are 34 convicted terrorists being held in Illinois prisons right now.
"We have a lot better terrorist targets than (Thomson)," Sacia told the Register Star's Chuck Sweeny last month.
Thomson residents know that, and it's why they are not wary of the plan.
Do people think they would trade their lives for their livelihoods?
Obama promised he would close Gitmo by the end of the year. He won't meet that deadline.
The state still needs to negotiate a fair price for Thomson with the federal government, and it's unknown whether state law will let the governor do that or whether the Legislature needs to sign off.
Congress still needs to pass legislation that would allow the suspected terrorists to enter the United States.
The detainees still won't be moved until security upgrades at Thomson are done, which may take at least several months.
Thomson residents are willing to wait. "I hope it's a true Christmas," Thomson village President Jerry Hebeler said. Sure beats the echo chamber of Scrooges.
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
They are wrong; we repeat, wrong. The plan is not dangerous, it is supported by Thomson residents and it is past time to move the detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Thomson is a maximum-security prison about 100 miles southwest of Rockford. It has the capacity to house 1,600 inmates, but about 100 to 200 minimum-security inmates live there.
The prison cost $140 million to build eight years ago, but the state couldn't afford to keep it open.
A colossal waste of taxpayer dollars - an all-but-empty building - will be put to good use. Obama is right that Gitmo should be closed and the detainees moved. Bad things happened there, things that never should have happened in the name of our country: beating, choking and sleep deprivation among other tools of torture.
The U.S. needs to wipe the slate clean.
Republicans keep bringing up security concerns, but the prison will be made as safe as humanly possible.
In a letter to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Obama administration officials wrote that the prison "will be enhanced to exceed perimeter security standards at the nation's only 'supermax' prison in Florence, Colo., where there has never been an escape or external attack."
Yet, U.S. Rep. Donald Manzullo and fellow Republicans persist in calling Thomson a potential terrorist target.
Republicans' real motive, political sabotage, is apparent in their name for Thomson: Gitmo North.
Obama has assured the public he has no intention of ever releasing the 100 detainees set to be moved from Guantanamo to Thomson. They will either be held indefinitely, tried in military tribunals at the prison or relocated to other countries.
The Department of Defense will operate the part of the prison that houses the detainees; the rest of the facility will house federal inmates and be operated by the Bureau of Prisons.
We're uneasy supporting the Thomson plan based on economic factors alone. However, it's hard to tune out the local residents who welcome the prospect of as many as 3,000 more jobs. Unemployment in Carroll County was 11 percent in October.
If residents are comfortable with the government's pledge to protect them with a supermax-to-end-all-supermaxes at Thomson, who are politicians 850 miles away in Washington to argue?
We have been most impressed with state Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica, who supports the Thomson plan. Sacia worked for the FBI for 30 years. He says the prisoners would be war detainees, and the fear they would be let out to be treated in hospitals "is a lot of hooey."
After all, there are 34 convicted terrorists being held in Illinois prisons right now.
"We have a lot better terrorist targets than (Thomson)," Sacia told the Register Star's Chuck Sweeny last month.
Thomson residents know that, and it's why they are not wary of the plan.
Do people think they would trade their lives for their livelihoods?
Obama promised he would close Gitmo by the end of the year. He won't meet that deadline.
The state still needs to negotiate a fair price for Thomson with the federal government, and it's unknown whether state law will let the governor do that or whether the Legislature needs to sign off.
Congress still needs to pass legislation that would allow the suspected terrorists to enter the United States.
The detainees still won't be moved until security upgrades at Thomson are done, which may take at least several months.
Thomson residents are willing to wait. "I hope it's a true Christmas," Thomson village President Jerry Hebeler said. Sure beats the echo chamber of Scrooges.
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
*** Email entry ***
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted Dec 16, 2009 @ 12:52 AM
Last update Dec 16, 2009 @ 07:36 AM
THOMSON - The White House decision to move up to 100 Guantanamo Bay detainees to this Mississippi River town has folks here seeing dollar signs, not suspected terrorists.
Many people are hopeful that their willingness to house the prisoners in a nearly empty penitentiary will offer an economic boost - helping to ease steep job losses and dwindling tax revenue needed to fix roads and pay for schools.
"This is probably the economic-development opportunity of a lifetime for northwest Illinois, and we intend to take full advantage of it," said Russ Simpson, who leads an economic development group for a three-county area that includes Thomson, about 70 miles southwest of Rockford.
Until now, the expansive Thomson Correctional Center has been a big disappointment in the town of 600, where there are no stoplights.
The prison was built by the state in 2001 with the promise of thousands of jobs, but budget problems prevented it from fully opening. It has 1,600 cells, housing 200 minimum-security inmates and 82 staff members.
Businesses opened in anticipation of an influx of prison workers and visitors, but they have since closed. Builders canceled plans for housing. Neighbors moved away to find better jobs.
"It's been a big disappointment for eight years. Heartbreak," said Rick McGinnis, who owns Kyle's, a bar that has been in his family for 62 years. Now, he says, people will move to the area, put their children in school, pay taxes and buy beer.
"That's the best thing that could happen to it."
President Barack Obama ordered the Bureau of Prisons to buy the prison. The decision is an important step toward closing Guantanamo Bay, which has long been a global symbol of the Bush administration's approach to national security. The Illinois prison is expected to house federal inmates and no more than 100 Guantanamo detainees.
But Tuesday's announcement will not solve all of the administration's Guantanamo-related problems. More than 200 detainees will remain at Guantanamo, and the White House faces other legal issues and potential resistance from Congress.
Federal and state officials say the federal takeover will create as many as 3,000 jobs in the area within several years, including 800 to 900 at the prison and at local businesses that would sprout up as a result.
"I hope it's a true Christmas," village President Jerry Hebeler said. "Everybody's been down in the dumps for eight years."
While local officials and many Democratic lawmakers, including Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and Gov. Pat Quinn, touted the plan as an economic boon, others warned that it would make the state a target for terrorist attacks.
Republican Rep. Mark Kirk, who is seeking Obama's old Senate seat, has lobbied other officials to oppose the plan. On Tuesday, he issued a statement saying the administration has not adequately addressed safety concerns.
"Without a vote, public hearing or detailed plan, the administration is moving quickly to force the citizens of Illinois to accept this unnecessary risk," Kirk said.
But many here do not see it that way.
"There's the political side about whether the Guantanamo detainees should be brought to American soil, but once that argument is settled, we may as well have them here," said Todd Smith, who owns Buck's Barn Golf Resort, a recreational complex about two miles north of the prison with an 18-hole golf course, 53-room hotel and restaurant.
"Any place that would have been a good target for terrorists before won't change on the basis of where the prisoners are being held."
He had shelved plans to expand the business several years ago, but Tuesday's news "gives us a chance to dust those plans off" and maybe build single-family homes around the golf course to house prison employees.
Thomson Correctional Center was one of several potential sites evaluated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to house detainees from the Navy-run prison at Guantanamo Bay.
McGinnis, the bar owner, said that if the federal government did not buy the prison, the town "probably would have died
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
Posted Dec 16, 2009 @ 12:52 AM
Last update Dec 16, 2009 @ 07:36 AM
THOMSON - The White House decision to move up to 100 Guantanamo Bay detainees to this Mississippi River town has folks here seeing dollar signs, not suspected terrorists.
Many people are hopeful that their willingness to house the prisoners in a nearly empty penitentiary will offer an economic boost - helping to ease steep job losses and dwindling tax revenue needed to fix roads and pay for schools.
"This is probably the economic-development opportunity of a lifetime for northwest Illinois, and we intend to take full advantage of it," said Russ Simpson, who leads an economic development group for a three-county area that includes Thomson, about 70 miles southwest of Rockford.
Until now, the expansive Thomson Correctional Center has been a big disappointment in the town of 600, where there are no stoplights.
The prison was built by the state in 2001 with the promise of thousands of jobs, but budget problems prevented it from fully opening. It has 1,600 cells, housing 200 minimum-security inmates and 82 staff members.
Businesses opened in anticipation of an influx of prison workers and visitors, but they have since closed. Builders canceled plans for housing. Neighbors moved away to find better jobs.
"It's been a big disappointment for eight years. Heartbreak," said Rick McGinnis, who owns Kyle's, a bar that has been in his family for 62 years. Now, he says, people will move to the area, put their children in school, pay taxes and buy beer.
"That's the best thing that could happen to it."
President Barack Obama ordered the Bureau of Prisons to buy the prison. The decision is an important step toward closing Guantanamo Bay, which has long been a global symbol of the Bush administration's approach to national security. The Illinois prison is expected to house federal inmates and no more than 100 Guantanamo detainees.
But Tuesday's announcement will not solve all of the administration's Guantanamo-related problems. More than 200 detainees will remain at Guantanamo, and the White House faces other legal issues and potential resistance from Congress.
Federal and state officials say the federal takeover will create as many as 3,000 jobs in the area within several years, including 800 to 900 at the prison and at local businesses that would sprout up as a result.
"I hope it's a true Christmas," village President Jerry Hebeler said. "Everybody's been down in the dumps for eight years."
While local officials and many Democratic lawmakers, including Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and Gov. Pat Quinn, touted the plan as an economic boon, others warned that it would make the state a target for terrorist attacks.
Republican Rep. Mark Kirk, who is seeking Obama's old Senate seat, has lobbied other officials to oppose the plan. On Tuesday, he issued a statement saying the administration has not adequately addressed safety concerns.
"Without a vote, public hearing or detailed plan, the administration is moving quickly to force the citizens of Illinois to accept this unnecessary risk," Kirk said.
But many here do not see it that way.
"There's the political side about whether the Guantanamo detainees should be brought to American soil, but once that argument is settled, we may as well have them here," said Todd Smith, who owns Buck's Barn Golf Resort, a recreational complex about two miles north of the prison with an 18-hole golf course, 53-room hotel and restaurant.
"Any place that would have been a good target for terrorists before won't change on the basis of where the prisoners are being held."
He had shelved plans to expand the business several years ago, but Tuesday's news "gives us a chance to dust those plans off" and maybe build single-family homes around the golf course to house prison employees.
Thomson Correctional Center was one of several potential sites evaluated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to house detainees from the Navy-run prison at Guantanamo Bay.
McGinnis, the bar owner, said that if the federal government did not buy the prison, the town "probably would have died
POLITICSTALKONLINE.COM
Guantanamo Bay detainees are coming to Illinois.
RRSTAR.COM STAFF REPORTS
Posted Dec 14, 2009 @ 10:57 PM
Last update Dec 15, 2009 @ 07:53 AM
It's official.
Guantanamo Bay detainees are coming to Illinois.
Federal administration officials, joined by Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and Gov. Pat Quinn, will make the official announcement today at the White House, according to The Associated Press.
Over the weekend, a draft memo was leaked to the press identifying the Thomson Correctional Center, a sparsely used state-of-the-art maximum security state prison as the proposed site. President Barack Obama reportedly has directed the government to acquire the prison.
Thomson is a Mississippi River community of about 560 people in Carroll County about 70 miles southwest of Rockford. A spokesman for Durbin's office said the facility would house federal inmates and no more than 100 detainees, a little less than half of the 215 detainees being held in Cuba.
Jobs sought
Thomson residents and state officials, have lobbied for the Obama administration to bring the detainees to Thomson as well as the 2,000 to 3,000 jobs that would be created if the prison is made fully operational.
Split opinions
State Rep Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica, who represents Thomson, could not be reached for comment late Monday night, but he has spoken candidly about his desire for the feds to bring the detainees to Thomson.
"If we pass up this opportunity, I think we're buffoons," he said. "We have a state-of-the-art facility designed as a maximum-security prison that is the second-largest expenditure for a building in the history of the state of Illinois. It has been sitting mostly vacant for eight years.
"We have an opportunity to bring 2,000 to 3,000 good jobs to Illinois, and the prison would be doing exactly what it was intended to do. If President Barack Obama is going to do this, we are literally idiots if we don't pursue this opportunity."
U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan, has stated otherwise:
"Gitmo is set up to house these dangerous terrorists, and they should stay there.
"We believe the Gitmo stigma would just be moved to Thomson, and they would have to rely on the small military contingent to protect the prison. Even at 100 detainees, the government officials told me that this would be the largest concentration of terrorists in the U.S."
1,600 cells mostly unused
The 625,000-square-foot Thomson Correctional Center sits on 146 acres and is a Level 1 facility with 1,600 cells for adult males.
It also has a 200-bed minimum-security unit, the only portion of the prison being used. The $140 million prison is enclosed by a 12-foot exterior fence and 15-foot interior fence, which includes a dual-sided electric stun fence.
Supermax status planned
Before the detainees are transferred, the prison's security level will be increased to supermaximum-security level, putting it on par with the federal supermax facility in Colorado, which holds al-Qaida members and other terrorists. There have been no escapes from that prison.
Closing Guantanamo is a top priority for Obama, and he signed an executive order hours into his presidency directing that the process of closing the prison begin.
Obama has said he wants terrorism suspects transferred to American soil so they can be tried for their suspected crimes.
Copyright 2009 Rockford Register Star. Some rights reserved
WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 15, 2009. Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today praised the decision by the Obama Administration to proceed with the acquisition of a state of the art correctional facility in
WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 15, 2009. Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today praised the decision by the Obama Administration to proceed with the acquisition of a state of the art correctional facility in Thomson, Illinois. Senator Durbin and Governor Quinn issued the following statement:
"Thomson Correctional Center - a high security prison - has been sitting empty for eight years. The Obama Administration has put forward a plan to make it the safest prison in America and we are pleased that they have made this decision. This move will have a tremendously positive impact on the local economy -- creating more than 3,000 jobs and injecting more than $1 billion into the local economy. This is an opportunity to dramatically reduce unemployment, create thousands of good-paying jobs and breathe new economic life into this part of downstate Illinois."
In a letter to Governor Quinn, sent by the U.S. Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretaries of State, Defense and Homeland Security, the federal government has signaled its intention to purchase and operate the prison. (Letter Attached)
They write: "We write to inform you that the President has directed, with our unanimous support, that the Federal Government proceed with the acquisition of the facility in Thomson. Not only will this help address the urgent overcrowding problem at our nation's Federal prisons, but it will also help achieve our goal of closing the detention center at Guantanamo in a timely, secure, and lawful manner."
The letter also addresses security concerns that have been raised about transferring Guantanamo detainees to the Thomson facility: "The security of the facility and the surrounding region is our paramount concern. The facility was built in 2001 to maximum security specifications, and after acquisition it will be enhanced to exceed perimeter security standards at the nation's only "supermax" prison in Florence, Colorado, where there has never been an escape or external attack . . . The President has no intention of releasing any detainees in the United States. Current law effectively bars the release of the Guantanamo detainees on U.S. soil, and the Federal Government has broad authority under current law to detain individuals during removal proceedings and pending the execution of final removal orders."
WE HERE AT WWW.POLITICSTALKLIVEONLINE.COM THINK THIS IS BULLSHIT. AND ALL THAT ARE NOTHING BUT THE LIBARL. SO IF YOU ARE IN ILL PLEASE THEM YOU WILL NOT VOTE FOR THEN .
PLEASE LEAVE YOU COMMENT ALL WILL PUT ON THE SITE . AND GOT BESS THE USA (NOT ALAL )
"Thomson Correctional Center - a high security prison - has been sitting empty for eight years. The Obama Administration has put forward a plan to make it the safest prison in America and we are pleased that they have made this decision. This move will have a tremendously positive impact on the local economy -- creating more than 3,000 jobs and injecting more than $1 billion into the local economy. This is an opportunity to dramatically reduce unemployment, create thousands of good-paying jobs and breathe new economic life into this part of downstate Illinois."
In a letter to Governor Quinn, sent by the U.S. Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretaries of State, Defense and Homeland Security, the federal government has signaled its intention to purchase and operate the prison. (Letter Attached)
They write: "We write to inform you that the President has directed, with our unanimous support, that the Federal Government proceed with the acquisition of the facility in Thomson. Not only will this help address the urgent overcrowding problem at our nation's Federal prisons, but it will also help achieve our goal of closing the detention center at Guantanamo in a timely, secure, and lawful manner."
The letter also addresses security concerns that have been raised about transferring Guantanamo detainees to the Thomson facility: "The security of the facility and the surrounding region is our paramount concern. The facility was built in 2001 to maximum security specifications, and after acquisition it will be enhanced to exceed perimeter security standards at the nation's only "supermax" prison in Florence, Colorado, where there has never been an escape or external attack . . . The President has no intention of releasing any detainees in the United States. Current law effectively bars the release of the Guantanamo detainees on U.S. soil, and the Federal Government has broad authority under current law to detain individuals during removal proceedings and pending the execution of final removal orders."
WE HERE AT WWW.POLITICSTALKLIVEONLINE.COM THINK THIS IS BULLSHIT. AND ALL THAT ARE NOTHING BUT THE LIBARL. SO IF YOU ARE IN ILL PLEASE THEM YOU WILL NOT VOTE FOR THEN .
PLEASE LEAVE YOU COMMENT ALL WILL PUT ON THE SITE . AND GOT BESS THE USA (NOT ALAL )
