1-26-09

So to summarize: We’d love to close Guantanamo, but we can’t right now; we’d love to transfer detainees out of Guantanamo, but other countries don’t want them; we’d love to give every detainee a civilian trial, but we don’t have enough evidence; we’d love to release the detainees we can’t charge with crimes, but our intelligence tells us they’re dangerous, so doing so would be irresponsible; and we’d love to stick to the highly civilized, detainee-friendly interrogation practices approved by the Army Field Manual, but every now and then there may be an emergency when something more severe is warranted. Underneath all the lofty rhetoric, we’re gratified to see that this is change George W. Bush could believe in.

Illegal Immigrant Brouhaha:  France’s hard-line new immigration minister is set to implement legislation that would allow DNA testing of new arrivals. A recent report said there was often doubt over the authenticity of papers in family applications for visas.

It claimed that in African countries such as Senegal, Ivory Coast and Togo up to 80 per cent of birth and marriage certificates were forged. Outgoing immigration minister Brice Hortefeux recently announced that France deported 30,000 illegal migrants in 2008 - a record number.

WSJ: The stimulus bill currently steaming through Congress looks like a legislative freight train, but given last week’s analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, it is more accurate to think of it as a time machine. That may be the only way to explain how spending on public works in 2011 and beyond will help the economy today.

Jennifer Rubin: In sum, President Obama is an elegant man who enjoys the goodwill of most citizens. He should not fritter away his standing nor diminish his stature by perpetuating “childish things,” including a constant stream of one-upsmanship. Graciousness goes a long way in life, and in politics. And it may come in handy some day.

Ed Morrissey: My friend Rob Neppell at Truth Laid Bear and Kithbridge has literally made a career out of building on-line tools to break down barriers between people and organizations, and he’s done it once again with Read the Stimulus.  Rob has transformed the 1,588 pages of legislation and committee reports into a searchable website designed to shine a light on the Congressional porkfest.

Rick Moran: Obama’s first week: The good, the bad, and the ugly

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