JOHN COLE notices something odd from Ted Kennedy.
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
I guess we can file this under "Great Moments in senate Hypocisy," because that sounds a helluva lot better than a category titled "Oh No He Didn't!" At any rate, yesterday, during the Gonzalez testimony yesterday, there was some serious questioning about interrogation, and in particular, a technique called 'water-boarding.'
Water-boarding is defined as: "Dripping water into a wet cloth over a suspect's face, which can feel like drowning."
Another description is as such: "A technique... in which a prisoner is strapped down, forcibly pushed under water and made to believe he might drown."
With those definitions in mind, lets peruse the questioning of Gonzalez by the Senior Senator from Massachusetts:
KENNEDY: Now, the Post article states you chaired several meetings at which various interrogation techniques were discussed. These techniques included the threat of live burial and waterboarding, whereby the detainee is strapped to a board, forcibly pushed under water, wrapped in a wet towel and made to believe he might drown. The article states that you raised no objection...
KENNEDY: Could you just -- I want to point out, if it's true, as the Post reported, that you held several meetings at which the legality of interrogation techniques, such as threat of live burial and water boarding were discussed...
KENNEDY: Well, just as an attorney, as a human being, I would have thought that if there were recommendations that were so blatantly and flagrantly over the line in terms of torture, that you might have recognized them. I mean, it certainly appears to me that water boarding, with all its descriptions about drowning someone to that kind of a point, would come awfully close to getting over the border, and that you'd be able to at least say today, There were some that were recommended or suggested on that, but I certainly wouldn't have had a part of that, as a human being.
Ted Kennedy's deep thoughts on simulated drowning- too bad Mary Jo Kopechne wasn't a suspected terrorist. With Teddy K's vice-like grip on morality, she would be enjoying her 64th year of life on this planet today. Of course, maybe he is learning- this is 'drowning someone to a point,' a sense of finesse that previously eluded Teddy Chappaquiddick.
Just out of curiosity- is this what the water-board device looks like?
ytedk.com |
