President Barack Obama pledged to close the island jail by January 2010, but logistics problems and Republican roadblocks in Congress have put pressure on the administration and made fulfilling that vow less likely.

Much of resistance has been whipped by former Vice President Dick Cheney, who opposes closure of the jail, warning that it would endanger U.S. national security.

The campaign, "CLOSE GITMO NOW" continues Wednesday with a relatively modest $100,000 ad buy on cable channels across the country, exhorting Congress to reject the "failed Bush-Cheney policies."

Obama won a modest victory Tuesday in his continuing effort to close Guantanamo as the Senate approved for his signature a plan to allow the government to continue to transfer to the United States detainees to be prosecuted in federal courts.

The plan to permit terrorist suspects held at the facility to be shipped to U.S. soil to face trial passed the Senate by a 79-19 vote as part of a larger $44.1 billion budget bill for the Homeland Security Department.

Tom Andrews, a former congressman from Maine who founded the "CLOSE GITMO NOW" group, told reporters he is hoping for grass roots support and donations to finance future ad campaigns that will target the congressional districts of those on Capitol Hill who foment fear about closing the jail and bringing the prisoners to the United States to stand trial. He said 145 terrorists have been convicted in federal courts since 2001, without a similar outcry from Republicans on Capitol Hill, and the jail continues to be a recruiting tool for al-Qaida.

Congressional claims to the contrary are "shameful and without basis," he said.

Andrews hopes his group will be a countervailing voice to the right wing doom-sayers, shifting media coverage away from the dangers of closing the jail to the danger of it remaining a symbol of American willingness to torture.

"The campaign we launch today will not rest until the fear-mongering has been silenced," Andrews said.

Administration officials have conceded recently that they probably will be unable to meet Obama's promised deadline, and the administration brought in senior White House adviser Peter Rouse to help supervise the flagging Guantanamo review.

Andrews said the White House is aware of his group's effort but has not seen the ads and is not coordinating their campaign.