Harry Reid made the following statement yesterday regarding the Democrats’ flip-flop on closing the prison at Guantanomo Bay, and bringing the detainees to prisons in the United States. Reid rejected the idea, stating:
“Can’t put them in prison unless you release them.”The internal inconsistency of the wording and concepts puts this sentence in a league of its own. Reid’s statement in April 2007 that the “war is lost” and “the surge is not accomplishing anything” (April 19, 2007) was wrong, but not internally inconsistent.
Reid’s current statement is even better than John Kerry’s “I actually did vote for the $87 Billion, before I voted against it” (March 16, 2004) because Kerry’s statement was accurate, though comic in its presentation.
And unlike Kerry’s statement, Reid has sown discord among his prior supporters in the left-wing blogosphere, who are all but tearing their hair out:
- Washington Monthly: “”Can’t put them in prison unless you release them”? What does that even mean? Isn’t locking someone up the opposite of releasing them?”
- The Daily Dish: “The Incoherent Cowardice Of Harry Reid”
- Wonkette: “The Defining Interview Of Harry Reid’s Political Career, Maybe”
- First Door On The Left: “What?! If there is one thing we Americans have proven ourselves fairly adept at, it’s building prisons and keeping folks in them.”
- D-Day: “This statement Reid’s office released makes absolutely no sense, proving again Digby’s point that, when politicians start speaking Engrish instead of English, you know they’re hiding something.”
- Balloon-Juice: “Congratulations. That was the best impression of a fearmongering Republican wingnut that I have seen in a long time.”
Incoherence. Inconsistency. Incompetence. In-fighting. A moment to remember, May 19, 2009.
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Comments
This is also the senator who said a year or so ago that paying income taxes was voluntary. No, really: http://tinyurl.com/2uyrgj
Maybe he meant releasing them from Guantanamo?
I said once that, if a terrorist escaped from Gitmo, then he’d find himself surrounded by water and Marines; but if he released from a prison in the U.S., then he’d be surrounded by civilians.
Maybe that’s what Senator Reid meant. *shrugs*
I heard a doozy from Sen. Feinstein today also, who said something about “convicted” terrorists being held indefinitely.
A conviction is a judgment in a criminal court, a verdict and a definite sentence. If your terrorist has been convicted under the criminal justice system, detention cannot be indefinite.
Wow.
And this guy insults Utahns on a regular basis.
Jordan:
Actually he is from Nevada, not Utah.
I think I now have a new favorite Harry Reid quote to replace my previous favorite about how we unwashed masses (*cough*, I mean tourists to see the Capitol building) smell bad. Thanks for the new quote, Professor Jacobson!