Niggles About Obama: Canuckistan Responds

Canuckistan responds to my earlier post on Senator Patrick Leahy's speech:

Aren't you being a little tough on Patrick Leahy? Is it surprising that he would be reluctant to speak for the Obama Administration before it has constituted itself and taken office, especially since he is not part of that administration and the last thing he would want to be is the cause of newspaper headlines back in the US?

The Guantanamo comment does seem surprising given the constant stream of news stories about plans underway to shut it down, a position that John McCain also advocated. That may be caution on the part of Leahy, but it may also reflect the realization that it will not be such an easy matter to shut down the camp because of what to do with the inmates. What happens to Khaled Sheikh Mohammad? Does he go on trial in a regular court and, if so, what do you do with the evidence obtained through waterboarding and the long time he spent in custody without charge? And what do you do with those are innocent but whose countries won't take them back (or the countries that will take them back but will torture them on return)?

The Bush Administration has left a counter-terrorist toxic waste dump for its successors to clean up.