In this panel with NewsHour correspondent Judy Woodruff, analysts weigh in on the debate over closing Guantanamo and interrogation techniques, after President Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney gave opposing national security policy speeches on Thursday. Answering critics from both the right and left, President Obama explained his decisions to close the Guantanamo Bay military prison and to withhold pictures of abuse by U.S. soldiers. Afterwards, Former Vice President Cheney criticized the president's anti-terror policy as too moderate and reaffirmed his defense of the anti-terror policies of the Bush administration. Presidential historian Richard Norton Smith notes it is unprecedented for both the president and the former vice president to challenge each others' administrations so openly so soon after transition. "There is a sort of gentleman's code that exists in which former presidents and vice presidents withhold their fire for a certain indeterminate period of time," he said. Of President Obama's speech, columnist Ruth Marcus praised the president for speaking to the American people "as adults" whereas columnist Byron York disagreed, saying that the president has yet to give the American people any plan for relocating Guantanamo detainees. Quotes "[President Obama] is walking a very thin and high tightrope between the people on the left of his party, who are furious at him over what they see as caving to the right, and the folks on the more conservative side of his party and beyond and the other party who think of him as a sellout to terrorists." - Ruth Marcus, Washington Post columnist "For a long time in this country, we assumed there wasn't such a thing as the middle. You know, we were 50-50 red and blue. And this whole presidency -- in some ways, [President Obama] came to power asserting that that assumption was wrong, that there was a large what used to be called sensible center." - Richard Norton Smith, historian. "If you live in the Middle East or if you live in Pakistan and you cheered when you saw the World Trade Centers come down, you're angry that the heroes of jihad are being held without justice in Guantanamo, is it going to be OK if they're held without justice in Colorado? Is that going to be OK?" - Byron York, Washington Examiner Warm Up Questions 1. What is Guantanamo Bay military prison? Where is it? 2. Why does President Obama want to close Guantanamo? Why is the administration having a hard time imprisoning terror suspects in the United States? Discussion Questions 1. Compare and contrast the former vice-president and president's speeches. What are the major policy differences between the two? 2. Richard Norton Smith says that it is unusual for a former vice president to criticize a new administration so quickly. Do you think that it is fair for former vice president Cheney to be challenging the president this way? Why or why not? 3. Do you think President Obama is right to criticize the previous administration in this way? Why or why not? 4. President Obama wants to move Guantanamo detainees to federal maximum security prisons in the U.S. How would you feel if the Guantanamo detainees were moved to a prison in your community? Why? Additional Resources Read the transcript Transcript of Obama's speech Transcript of Cheney's speech