--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: President Obama's decision not to go to…" description: "\"President Obama's decision not to go to Congress for help in establishing reasonable standards for the continued detention of Guantanamo detainees is a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/benjamin-wittes-9097_bad_president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to_890579.jpg" --- # President Obama's decision not to go to Congress for help… ![“President Obama's decision not to go to Congress for help in establishing reasonable standards for the continued detention of Guantanamo detainees is a failure of leadership in the project of putting American law on a sound basis for a long-term confrontation with terrorism. It is bad for the…” quote by Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/benjamin-wittes-9097_bad_president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to_890579.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/benjamin-wittes-9097_bad_president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to_890579.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/benjamin-wittes-9097_bad_president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to_890579.jpg) > “President Obama's decision not to go to Congress for help in establishing reasonable standards for the continued detention of Guantanamo detainees is a failure of leadership in the project of putting American law on a sound basis for a long-term confrontation with terrorism. It is bad for the country, for national security, and for civil liberties.” [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership must uphold legal standards to balance security and liberty, especially in counterterrorism policies. **In simple terms:** Leaders should protect both safety and rights. Key Takeaway Ensure policies respect law and rights. Themes leadership law security civil liberties counterterrorism Mood concerned critical Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - Congressional hearings - policy drafting - public debate - judicial review Key Concepts Legal ethics policy balance human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders reconcile security with civil freedoms? - What mechanisms ensure accountability? A Different Perspective Political constraints may limit swift action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) [Civil liberties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-liberties/) [Detainees Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detainees-failure-1143190/) [Detention Guantanamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detention-guantanamo-1143189/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure of leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-of-leadership/) [Guantanamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guantanamo/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [National security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-security/) [Obama Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-decision-1143191/) [Terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism/) [Terrorism Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism-bad-493237/) ## Related quotes > [Long before, and fully independent of, anything Congress did, President Obama made clear that he was going to preserve the indefinite detention system at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/long-before-and-fully-independent-of-anything-congress-did-president/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“In Boumediene v. Bush, the Supreme Court held that the United States’ exercise of authority over Guantánamo gave the detainees a constitutional right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/in-boumediene-v-bush-the-supreme-court-held-that-the-united-states/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [Discrimination was a problem before terrorism. Now, the bad deeds of a few people have made life worse for millions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/discrimination-was-a-problem-before-terrorism-now-the-bad-deeds-of-a/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) > [If you view terrorism in Syria from one perspective and terrorism outside Syria from another perspective, it can create problems. If you view terrorism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/if-you-view-terrorism-in-syria-from-one-perspective-and-terrorism/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [I believe we have to take this step by step to try to reign in Iranian aggression, their support for terrorism and the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-believe-we-have-to-take-this-step-by-step-to-try-to-reign-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Terrorism is always one bad day away from being issue No. 1.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/terrorism-is-always-one-bad-day-away-from-being-issue-no-1/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [Don't kid yourself. President Obama's decision to withdraw 33,000 troops from Afghanistan before he stands for reelection is not driven by the United States'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-fournier/don-t-kid-yourself-president-obama-s-decision-to-withdraw-33-000/) [Ron Fournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-fournier/) > [Obama's decision to leave, to not sustain the victory that resulted after eight years of fighting, from 2003 to 2011 in Iraq, was another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-t-flynn/obama-s-decision-to-leave-to-not-sustain-the-victory-that-resulted/) [Michael T. Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-t-flynn/) > [Barack Obama's decision to come out in favour of gay marriage may be a historic occasion, but it is not an isolated one. His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/barack-obama-s-decision-to-come-out-in-favour-of-gay-marriage-may-be/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [I accept that friends of ours have decided that the President's non-strike has somehow impacted perceptions of us. But I believe they are dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-accept-that-friends-of-ours-have-decided-that-the-president-s-non/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [President Obama's decision to bypass the constitutional advice and consent of the Senate is not an isolated incident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/president-obama-s-decision-to-bypass-the-constitutional-advice-and/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [I applaud President Obama's decision to begin a partial withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan. However, I believe that we must go further…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-bysiewicz/i-applaud-president-obama-s-decision-to-begin-a-partial-withdrawal-of/) [Susan Bysiewicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-bysiewicz/) > [America is far less safe and the world is far less stable than when Obama made the decision to pub Hillary Clinton in charge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/america-is-far-less-safe-and-the-world-is-far-less-stable-than-when/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [President Barack Obama's decision to provide amnesty for hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens under the DACA program was unlawful, and the court interfered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fitton/president-barack-obama-s-decision-to-provide-amnesty-for-hundreds-of/) [Tom Fitton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fitton/) > [If I were not African, I wonder whether it would be clear to me that Africa is a place where the people do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-i-were-not-african-i-wonder-whether-it-would-be-clear-to-me-that/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) ## More by Benjamin Wittes > [Reasonable people can disagree about the authorities the NSA should have, when it's appropriate for the CIA to use drone strikes, and how assertive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/reasonable-people-can-disagree-about-the-authorities-the-nsa-should/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [I'm a rationalist and a skeptic, someone who safely separates faith from reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/i-m-a-rationalist-and-a-skeptic-someone-who-safely-separates-faith/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [I'm an unabashed apologist for strong national-security authority. That's why I might be more alarmed by Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/i-m-an-unabashed-apologist-for-strong-national-security-authority/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [If you believe, as I do, that the scope and range of presidential authority is great, that puts a lot of weight on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/if-you-believe-as-i-do-that-the-scope-and-range-of-presidential/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [In any long string of letters, one can find countless anomalies that will seem like convincing proofs of hidden meaning to the mind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/in-any-long-string-of-letters-one-can-find-countless-anomalies-that/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [To get a FISA warrant to spy on a suspected spy, the feds go before a super-secret court located in a sealed room in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/to-get-a-fisa-warrant-to-spy-on-a-suspected-spy-the-feds-go-before-a/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [One effect of Roe was to mobilize a permanent constituency for criminalizing abortion - a constituency that has driven much of the southern realignment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/one-effect-of-roe-was-to-mobilize-a-permanent-constituency-for/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [There is no doubt in my mind that Article II limits to a considerable degree the application of the obstruction statutes to the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-that-article-ii-limits-to-a-considerable/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [It might seem perverse for honestly religious people to group their faiths with those of the sadists and megalomaniacs who run most cults, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/it-might-seem-perverse-for-honestly-religious-people-to-group-their/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [Eric Holder is a decent man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/eric-holder-is-a-decent-man/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [Al-Qaida is a cult of martyrdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/al-qaida-is-a-cult-of-martyrdom/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [I generally favor permissive abortion laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/i-generally-favor-permissive-abortion-laws/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [While I oppose the death penalty as a policy matter, in a legal culture in which we reserve the right to execute people for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/while-i-oppose-the-death-penalty-as-a-policy-matter-in-a-legal/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [We should stop thinking of Snowden, to the extent that we ever were, as a hero. We should stop thinking of him as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/we-should-stop-thinking-of-snowden-to-the-extent-that-we-ever-were-as/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [Trump fired Jim Comey because the most dangerous thing in the world, if you are Donald Trump, is a person who tells the truth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/trump-fired-jim-comey-because-the-most-dangerous-thing-in-the-world/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) [Explore all 75 Benjamin Wittes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) ## More Bad quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/) [Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/) > [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) [Browse all 7,973 Bad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "President Obama's decision not to go to Congress for help in establishing reasonable standards for the continued detention of Guantanamo detainees is a failure of leadership in the project of putting American law on a sound basis for a long-term confrontation with terrorism. It is bad for the country, for national security, and for civil liberties.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Benjamin Wittes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to-congress-for-help-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to-congress-for-help-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/benjamin-wittes-9097_bad_president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to_890579.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/benjamin-wittes-9097_bad_president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to_890579.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3a/benjamin-wittes-9097_bad_president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to_890579.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“President Obama's decision not to go to Congress for help in establishing reasonable standards for the…” — Benjamin Wittes", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Benjamin Wittes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "President Obama's decision not to go...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to-congress-for-help-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/president-obama-s-decision-not-to-go-to-congress-for-help-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```