New Group Whacks Congress For Gitmo Failure

New Group Whacks Congress For Gitmo Failure

A coalition of retired generals and progressive groups and individuals released an ad on Tuesday imploring Congress to act on President Obama's call for the closure of Guantanamo Bay prison.

The spot, paid for by the liberal-leaning New Security Action, insists that a dark cloud will hang over the nation's capital so long as Gitmo -- a symbol of indefinite detention and torture -- remains open. To push the point, the ad frames the detention facility as one of the few remaining relics of the Bush years.

"A dark cloud is hanging over it," the ad reads, as a shot of the Capitol building becomes shaded out. "Guantanamo prison and the torture committed there. President Obama said we should close it. Colin Powell agrees. But Congress stands in the way, continuing to follow the failed Bush-Cheney policies. Tell Congress to lift the cloud."

The spot, which is being pitched by a group of retired generals as well as organizations like VoteVets' and for U.S. Congressmen Tom Andrews (D-ME), will air on national television starting this week.

Whether it can help compel an obstinate Congress to act on Obama's plea to close Gitmo remains to be seen. The White House has all but conceded that its time frame for shutting down the detention facility will be missed, primarily because many within the president's own party are wary of transferring inmates to domestic locations.

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