Calif. Sen. Dianne Feinstein's good with Guantanamo prisoners going to her state

As one of its very first promises after the inaugural showing of Aretha Franklin's huge hat last Jan. 20, the Obama Democratic administration promised to close the terrorist-housing facility in Guantanamo Bay within one year.

They're not going to make that deadline, Obama officials now admit. A big problem is where to put these fellows who want to kill Americans enmasse. The last Bush administration deemed communist Cuba a good spot.

Members of Congress have not exactly been jumping up and down waving their hands to bring those guys to their home states.

But on Fox News Sunday this Sunday, Dianne Feinstein, the ex-mayor and veteran California Democrat and Intelligence Committee chairman was asked if she'd be OK with those hardened terrorists being moved from the isolated maximum security detention facility in Cuba to a maximum security place in her state, the nation's most populous, and she said, "Yes."

Her co-guest, Republican Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri did not think Missouri was a good spot. He worries that terrorist prisoners will recruit new followers from an American prison population. But the Missouri too was OK with California.

Here's the video proof:

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Comments

[Shawdog]

I'm fine with keeping the Guantanamo prisoners in California.

Actually, I suspect they'll be nostalgic for Gitmo after being sent to Pelican Bay.

[jack]

it's ok with me too, as long as they stay in her house.

[andrew nelson]

Well, here we go California. Time to step up to support your president.

Ms. Feinstein has just thrown us under the bus.

[Robert NO longer in LA]

EXCUSE me, but WHO the 'schnell' is Feinstein, to play god ??? Note the LITTLE 'g.' Bad enough the Worst& Dullest at State and CIA bring in the trash from the Middle East, Far East, old Soviets et al.....now the geriatrics in Congress delude themselves that they're 'wise.' Just look at the MESS Clinton/Bush - and sadly, soon, Obama - has made not just of the world, but THIS country. Is someone making campaign contributions to bring all the Al Qaeda wannabes to the USA? Maybe these politicians can REAP MORE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS from the dying WAR MONGER INDUSTRIES? Just think how much MORE of your BIRTHRIGHT, would need to be spent on 'Saving US' if we had all sorts of Al Qaeda wannabes amongst us? Leave Al Qaeda in Cuba and the Middle East....they don't deserve Country Club prisons.

[Bill]

Common sense would say keep Gitmo open. An idiot would say, "no let's close it and bring the terrorists to California prisons". Time to vote this incompetent politician out of office.

[Jack Topel]

Thanks Dianne, One thing that California is NOT lacking is prisoners. We have no money, and we have no room. Aren't we under a federal court order to reduce the prison population? Now the Senator wants to import terrorists. Great. Maybe we can house them in the Senator's garage.

[Irishrose]

Feinstein is crazy!!!! We have enough problems here in California without letting terrorists live here.

[WHAT !?!?!]

What !! You are over as a US Senator from CA !!
Back your bags. It's over. GITMO sounds like a great idea now.

[JR]

Put these guys in the prison general population? What a moron! No wonder your state is jacked.

[Dump Feinstein]

Time for Diane to retire... unless you want terrorists in your backyard.

[Marianne]

Don't we have enough problems as it is? As liberal as the government is now, they'll be handing out visas to "suspected" terrorists' families so they can now come to California and be supportive of their American-hating kid/spouse/sibling.

I say no to this brilliant idea. The benefits (increase in corrections employment) do not outweigh the inevitable crap this will bring.

[WHAT !?!?!]

?

[West Valley Dave]

There is no way we want muslim terrorist in California, in our prisons or anywhere. Keep them at Gitmo. Sen. Feinstein is off her rocker if she thinks endorsing this move will continue her political career. She's all but done now but if muslim terrorists come to California that will seal her political fate.

[Brian Brown]

She is nuts! We have a major budget issue here and jobs are lost by the hundreds of thousands. Bringing terrorists to California will not create jobs only drive ones ambitious political agendas. Our senators aren't worth a penny in Washington. We need to set strict term limits and have performance reviews like ANY OTHER BUSINESS. They know, barring having sex with a goat in chamber they cannot be thrown out of congress and their life is set.

I think we lost our balls California

Its time to get them back

[David]

The way we treat our own convicts is a human rights violation. Bring the Gitmo gang, they'll feel right at home!

We love to deride the French as "Cheese eating surrender monkeys?" We are such cowards we can't take one for the team? Grow up!

[A realist]

Good for Senator Feinstein. This can't be a popular move for any senator, but this move shows true leadership on her part. We are never going to solve some of our nation's enormous problems if we can't take responsibility for them. Hopefully more governors and senators from other states will follow suit.

For those who insist that our prisons can't handle former Guantanamo prisoners: perhaps more federal money is needed to hire additional guards and build more solitary confinement cells within our prison system, but that is a detail that can be worked out. In contrast, sticking our heads in the sand and saying that the prisoners can't be brought onto U.S. soil simply isn't viable, and keeping Guantanamo open perpetuates the stigma against the U.S. that has been the single most effective rallying tool for al Qaida recruiters.

As for Kit Bond, his hypocrisy couldn't be more obvious. He's fine with Guantanamo detainees coming to the U.S., as long as they aren't placed in his state? That shows HE KNOWS we'd be safe with them in the country, but his only fear is HIS OWN political fallout.

[Bob]

Vote her out-she hurts our country. She's more worried about enemies rights vs ours. Pathetic

[Bob]

Vote her out. She's pathetic. Who's worse her or Obama?

[Joe Janesic]

we dont want these people in California, and we dont want to pay the bill to house them. leave them in Gitmo, or drop them in the middle of Antarctica.

[o.medina]

Obviusly, the democrats like these terrorists otherwise ,they don't love our country and our security. Its time to remove this lady from de senate, the sooner the better.

[o.medina]

Obviously, its time to remove this lady from her seat, the democrats act irresponsile when they don't care about our security.

[H Hilborn]

The Gitmo prisoners in the Ninth Circuit? That is a dreadful prospect.

[Bryan Galt]

I think that the one glaring problem with moving these people anywhere is the fact that they have not had a trial, they have not been found guilty of any crimes much less terrorism and we have violated the principles of our own laws and society by keeping them imprisoned under these circumstances. It's shameful that Feinstein is volunteering to hold them even longer.

[Ed Lowder]

We should exchange Feinstein for the terrorists. CA and the country would benefit.

[james]

since SUPERMAX In Colorado is Full already. and since it would cost taxpayer money to get these prisons ready, i say the best place that we can keep them is..
ummm GITMO

[Jim Craft]

Good for Feinstein! There's to much NIMBY floating around on this and other issues. This debate about Gitmo has so far omitted what I think is the #1 or #2 reason we need to shut it down--we need to put an end to our in-your-face way of dealing with Cuba. Gitmo is a symbol of American imperialism. We keep it open because we're bigger and stronger than Cuba. We need to shut the base down (not just the prison) and give the property back to Cuba, if only as a concrete statement that America isn't going to impose it's vision of the world on other countries.

I'm heartened by the changes that appear to be in process with respect to the prisoners we've held without charges for years. But we need to shut down Gitmo and bring the prisoners through our legal system. That's the way American values dictate! If some of these people are truly dangerous, we ought to be able to bring charges, convict them, and lock them up. Otherwise, we should release them.

[lovestohike]

California voters are NOT in any way fine with this idea.

If Diane likes them, then let's have them stay as personal house guests of her and her family.

We do not want them here in California - Diane can keep them with her in Washington DC.

[Vince Sullivan]

The Senator just might want to check with her constiuents regarding the acceptance of Guantanamo prisoners. Just a thought.

[Don]

Dianne Feinstein should not be the Intelligence Committee chairman, it is clear she is NOT Intelligent with her idea of locating hardened terrorist prisoners in California, just no common sense to her thought process at all. What a kook!

[Waclaw]

Ok, Diane,
how about we house them in you posh little complex in San Francisco?
You could visit and vounsel them, let them know they have nothing to fear from you toothless Democrats.
The voters will let you know how they like it.

[Hilhorst]

Well,
They must be someone's responsibility and that someone is the USA. You become responsible for people once you hijack them and put them in a camp without access to normal legal procedures..... Don't forget that the haven't even been tried properly yet.

Please give them their trial and thus show the world that the USA is still the land of the free. If convicted, throw away the key (in California or maybe even better Alaska). If not convicted, let them go (after a spell of therapy maybe).

[s]

what a stupid you know what.. she is also ok with illegals being here... know why, because she , herself doesn't have to live here.... Diane butt out.......... your opinion hasn't counted in years.... and NO WE DON'T WANT THE CRIMINALS FROM GITMO... what are you going to include them in San Francisco's sanctuary policy, don't we have enough crime as it is.............. geez, but the F out..

[Gman]

Pelican Bay makes Guantanamo look like a party. Ship them here we'll take care of them.

[Jon]

Yep. Now we can bring them to California and release them so that we can have the space and save money. Hell we can't keep the ones we have....................?

[Ed]

In addition to having intellegence on Iraq, now Iran and it's nuclear ambitions since 2006, and now this? She is a piece of work and it is clear she's only here to help her husband make billions with his military contracts. How stupid can the people of California who voted for her to rob and steal from our tax monies under the idea of "Intellegence"? Now perhaps people can really understand and have the intellegence to understand (or maybe not) why this country is REALLY screwed up. It's people like her; oh yea, and they voted in Obama too! This is the intellegence America voted for. Now hand your children the bill for the $130,000.00 of debt these people so happily gave you to give to your children. And remember, Rose Bird (liberal democrat)gave criminals rights the next time someone murders or rapes a child. Yes, these people are leading the way, and truly, your worried about terrorists?

[Lantz Casual]

Yep, put em in Pelican Bay. I have ZERO concern about them getting out. The problem is going to be protecting them from the rest of the prison population.

I think these guys will be like the child molesters. Prison justice (I am talking about the justice meted out by fellow prisoners) is far worse than the alleged torture these clowns have suffered at the hands of our CIA operatives.

[maddog]

Oh well, better go out and buy more guns and ammo. Looks like the sense of urgency of us becoming our own first line of defense just got a swift kick in the pants.

[steve]

Are they guys any more dangerous than John Wayne Gacy, Charles Manson, or the thousands of felons currently in supermax custody? I'm not sure I get it. What are they afraid of? That they'll convert other dangerous felons??? This is all a crock of political posturing designed to put impediments in front of cleaning up the Guantanamo mess. Oh, well; like the man says "YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID".

[ReilleyFam]

I think she has forgotten that it's not her call. She is but 1 representative for our State and the voters decide. We dont want them here, she knows it and is intentionally violating the will of her constituents. I always liked and respected DiFi but if she puts those people in CA I'll voluteer on my own time to ensure she is never elected to anything again.

This is not a typical NIMBY issue.

[Justin]

Atwater or Victorville?

[Martin C. Brhel, Jr.]

Senator Feinstein is clearly out in la-la land on this one. She is totally at odds with every national security expert I've listened to on this issue.

One issue she seems to be totally oblivious to is the ability of any of these Gitmo "guests" to indoctrinate any prison inmates who just might be susceptible to being radicalized.

These guys are the absolute worst of the worst and won't be happy until every man, woman and child in America is the recipient of some brutally violent death.

So, any new recruits they can find to help them with their murderous, cold-blooded agenda is like music to their ears. we don't need to help them.

Let's face some additional basics, boys and girls. The typical prison inmate isn't exactly a stable human being who has a history of contributing positively to their community.

Combine substance abuse habits with mental instability and lack of meaningful job skills and these folks are like ticking time bombs anyhow.

So, the last thing we need is one more obstacle in the way of attempting to make them productive and law abiding members of society.

If Ms. Feinstein thinks this is such a good idea, then maybe she should just let all of them live with her and her hubby in their palatial estate...

[Amanda]

Um, "not living in your home"? We need to be responsible for our own prisoners. Where else do you think they should go? We want them to be detained, but we don't want them to be in the U.S.? We just think someone else should do it? I don't think so.

[website]

Except that the whole reason for putting it outside of proper U.S. territory was to avoid the constitutional issues.

[JP]

How much will the Feds pay us per head? We need the money. Turn Pelican Bay into a paying proposition.

[Uncle Bernie]

I think they should be shipped to San Francisco and given loving care under the watchful eye of Gavin Newsom.

[costamesaray]

I would rather send Feinstein to Gitmo. We have enough prison problems without bringing terrorists into the mix.

[Andrea8U]

Again with Diane? How the heck is California going to pay for this?!

Keep Guantanamo open!

[James Bachmann]

Not in my back yard! That means nowhere, of course, except in Cuba's back yard. Rather than break a political promise, however, Pres. Obams will put the Gitmo prisoners in federal prisons on the mainland to live out life sentences.

[Richard P]

Stick them in a real prison, and there will be some lawyers making a name for themselves beating up the system. The legal basis for keeping them there is not just shaky, it is non-existent from start to finish.

[Bill in SF]

These prisoners of war and other detainees would be held in Federal maximum-security prisons in California and other states.
California's prison budget and prison overcrowding and gang problems are with the state prisons; nobody's proposing to put them there, among other things because they'd actually have to follow Constitutional due process and be able to appeal to state courts if they were there. (The purpose of sending them to Gitmo was that Bush said US law doesn't apply there.)

Some of them may be terrorists, some of them are soldiers whose side lost and can't negotiate for them, some of them are non-combatants who got ratted out for reward money, and more than half of the original "worst of the worst" have already been quietly sent home because the military apparently decided they weren't worst after all. It's highly unlikely that more than a couple of these guys are worse than the typical maximum-security prisoner who's there because he got convicted of violent crimes; keep them away from AK47s and get a few guards who speak their languages and they'll be just another prison gang.