Mo. House: Don’t bring Guantanamo detainees here
JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri House of Representatives passed a 125-29 a resolution that would urge the U.S. government to not move detainees through the state.
Bill sponsor Rep. Clint Tracy, R-Cape Girardeau, said his concerns are twofold: “No. 1 public safety, and No. 2 the lack of a plan” by the federal government.
Rep. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, who is a veteran, said the resolution is offensive, and it assumes U.S. military can’t take care of terror suspects.
“We’re trying to take Missouri out of the war on terror, Webber said. “The other 48 states can fight the war on terror without us.”
Tracy, a National Guard member, said later he doesn’t think terror suspects should move through any state.
Minority Floor Leader Paul LeVota accused Republicans of political games. “This is clearly a political posturing because you are upset who the president of the United States is,” he said to Speaker Pro Tem Bryan Pratt.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” he added.
LeVota said the resolution is essentially against the closing of Guantanamo and should be directed at keeping the prison open rather than prisoner transportation.
Pratt said he didn’t understand Democrats’ objections.
“It is unfathomable to me why it would be a good idea to have terrorists, murderous thugs, in the state of Missouri,” he said.
Tracy said he’s concerned about terrorists escaping from prisoner transport or encouraging terrorist cells in Missouri.
Side note: Rep. Jeff Roorda, D-Barnhart, asked Tracy if perhaps the problem was that he had seen Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay too many times. Tracy said he didn’t know what movie Roorda was talking about.
HILARIOUS…. Couple of quick points here.
1.) Missouri’s prisons are already filled with murderers, rapists, child molestors and drug dealers. A few terror suspects really causes me no alarm. It appears to me that someone is trying to MAKE this an issue.
2.) The “Harold and Kumar” comment has to be one of the funniest things i’ve ever heard from a politician. Nice job!!!!
Can the Missouri House please stop wasting time passing NONBINDING resolutions that do absolutely nothing but provide those who voted for them with something to campaign on next year?
Missouri has many problems. Missouri legislators have filed many bills to deal with these problems. The Missouri House can debate and pass these bills and actually DO something.
This is such a shame.
Heyyy - don’t diss’ Rep. Tracy…
Comes 2010, he’ll be able to demonstrate to the voters “how tough I am on terrorists!”
And how “I was the one to press for legislation!”
And how “I want to protect Mizzourah citizens from escaped terrorists who will easily blend into the general population.”
And how “I have no idea what kind of librul movie is showing down at the Multiplex.”
And, at the end of the day, Roorda voted for the resolution. Is it “nonbinding”? Yes. That’s what most resolutions are-they express the opinion of a body (in this case, the state House of Representatives) to a certain entity (in this case, the federal government). That does not make it meaningless. It shows the federal government that over 70% of our lower chamber of the General Assembly are opposed to any plan that would transport suspected terrorists through our state. That is completely within their right to do so…or should we just shut up and acquiesce to every single thing the federal government does? Perusing the no votes will show that only the most ideological members of the Democratic caucus opposed this resolution.
Put it another way…if we just simply shut up, let the federal government transport the prisoners through, and then God forbid something happens that allows an escape of multiple suspected terrorists into the St. Louis metro area…would you feel safe and secure, and still think that it was a meaningless excursion into partisanship?