Michigan Leaders Protest Detainee Prospects

Hell no, they don't want Gitmo. Michigan's GOP lawmakers spoke out on Thursday against President Obama's consideration of a maximum-security prison in Standish, Michigan, as an alternative to Guantánamo Bay. Following Obama's visit to the site, Rep. Pete Hoekstra—who is also a Republican gubernatorial candidate in his home state—accused the Obama administration of trying to pull a fast one: "They haven't been upfront at all on this. We found out through the media they were going to Standish." Hoekstra is now requesting permission to take a group of state and local officials on a tour of the Guantánamo Bay prison so they can "know what they're in for." Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, called the possible Michigan detainee relocation a "cash for clink" program and said he opposes it. Local Democrats were more reserved in their statements. The Democratic congressman who represents Standish, Bart Stupak—the first Michigan lawmaker to propose importing the detainees—said through a spokeswoman that he "preferred" to take prisoners from California's overcrowded system, but that Guantánamo prisoners would be "preferred over nothing" for the sake of job creation.