Politics: Torture isn’t hard to define when you’re a victim
This summer, I was listening to some radio talk show out of Chicago, and the woman at the mic was interviewing Sen. John McCain. The subject of prisoner torture came up, and the host was just indignant at the lefties for insisting that waterboarding was a form of torture, adding that she was not opposed to using such tactics if it could save just one American’s life.
McCain, who has some first-hand experience in the matter, politely informed her she was wrong, waterboarding was torture, and that torture accomplished nothing and put Americans in danger.
But the host — I wish I could remember her name — was absolutely sure of the rightness of her position. I expencted McCain to reach up and choke the ignorant nitwit. Her she is, sitting across from a decorated war veteran and prisoner of war, who was tortured by the North Vietnamese, lecturing him about what is and isn’t torture.
So when John McCain says that the latest nominee for attorney general can’t be trusted because he refuses to answer a question about what he considers torture, then I have to deffer to his greater insight on the subject.
Here’s an idea: Since no one in the Bush administration thinks this is torture, and that it should be a tool in the toolbelt for getting to the truth, then let’s submit ever single Bushie to waterboarding to ensure they aren’t lying to Congress.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Geez, I had to check to see if that post didn’t from Scotty.
Yeah, right. A post praising a Republican U.S. Senator and legitimate war hero makes me a liberal.