Obama's centrist governance would be a real disappointment if it weren't for other Democrats

via Hilzoy

Harry Reid, bringing the spineless:

QUESTION: If the United States -- if the United States thinks that these people should be held, why shouldn't they be held in the United States? Why shouldn't the U.S. take those risks, the attendant risk of holding them, since it's the one that says they should be held?

REID: I think there's a general feeling, as I've already said, that the American people, and certainly the Senate, overwhelmingly doesn't want terrorists to be released in the United States. And I think we're going to stick with that.

QUESTION: What about in imprisoned in the United States?

REID: If you're...

(CROSSTALK)

REID: If people are -- if terrorists are released in the United States, part of what we don't want is them be put in prisons in the United States. We don't want them around the United States.

Jeebus. They put up one commercial with a little scary O Fortuna action about how Obama is going to force families to provide foster care for terrorists by closing Guantanamo... and you're quaking in fear in the corner?! They're going to be in prison. Not "released". Gah. It should be the easiest argument to make in the world... if there's one thing that the United States is good at, it's incarcerating people. To paraphrase Jon Stewart, it's not like we're dealing with a legion of Magnetos here.

As Kevin Drum notes, with Dems like Harry Reid... who flinch at the slightest provocation... it's no wonder people think we're weak on defense.