John McCain rips GOP presidential candidates Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann on waterboarding

The New York Daily News ^ | 2011-11-15

[rabscuttle385]

The Arizona lawmaker—who was tortured himself while a prisoner of war in Vietnam — said the controversial practice was both illegal and ineffective.

BY ALIYAH SHAHID

Republican Sen. John McCain is ripping presidential candidates in his party who insist waterboarding is an effective technique for interrogating suspected terrorists.

The Arizona lawmaker—who was tortured himself while a prisoner of war in Vietnam — said the controversial practice was both illegal and ineffective on Monday evening.

“Very disappointed by statements at SC GOP debate supporting waterboarding,” he tweeted. “Waterboarding is torture.”

McCain, who ran for President in 2008, elaborated on CNN later, arguing, “If you put enough physical pain on somebody, they will tell you whatever they think that you want to hear in order for the pain to stop.”

The lawmaker was speaking specifically to remarks made by former pizza business magnate Herman Cain and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann at Saturday’s Republican presidential debate.

(snip)

...McCain suggested endorsing the technique was hypocritical.

“Ask any military lawyer; ask any person who knows about the Geneva conventions that we're signatories to. We actually prosecuted Japanese war criminals specifically for the act of waterboarding against Americans,” he said.

[jakerobins]

I know Special Forces go through “SERE” training to understand how the enemy may interogate them...Do fighter pilots go through the same? Would McCain say he was tortured then by the US Navy?

[muawiyah]

What the Japanese did was kill people. Waterboarding doesn't kill. It was tossed into one of the war criminal indictments as a sort of "everything but the kitchen sink" deal.

[C. Edmund Wright]

I’m sure the author’s name is mere coincidence.

[bigdirty]

If anyone but Romney wins, McCain will be a “maverick” and endorse Barack.

[Goreknowshowtocheat]

I thought we had made up for waterboarding Khalid with the Fast and Furious program. Is McCain thinking we did not kill enough Americans because Khalid’s plan was much bigger. Does he have a town in the US we should bomb to make the numbers higher. What a dunce.

[sport]

Hell, he endorsed him when he was the nominee. The good people of Arizona return him to the Senate at every opportunity. So, there are still those that love him. I am just not one of them.

[Tallguy]

Not only did the Japanese kill US prisoners randomly, some fo their officers actually ate them. This is referenced in the book "Flyboys" which, oddly enough, was written by the author "Flags of my Fathers" -- a book about Sen. McCain's father & grandfather.

[hinckley buzzard]

We actually prosecuted Japanese war criminals specifically for the act of waterboarding against Americans,” he said.

I'm pretty sure this is a lie, for the simple reason that if it were true it would have been publicized when this issue was first argued in the press.

[napscoordinator]

This is my take on McCain. He wants to ensure that the Republicans lose this round because he lost the last time. He knows that people will remember that he lost the race and wants to have people think that the population just doesn’t want a Republican President right now instead of thinking that he just sucks. I am seriously thinking I am right. He would rather another Republican lose so it takes the onus off of him alone. Think about it. Why would a Republican NOT RUNNING right now blast any candidate.

[Mark]

Just change the term name to “Enhanced Shower Technique”.

[MEGoody]

Ugh, what a maroon.

[PalinPlease]

McCain is just jealous that Bachmann and Cain are more of a hero than he will ever be.

McStain is a disgrace to the uniform he claimed to wear.

[Venturer]

Knowing that John McCain is still in the Senate is torture for me.

What is keeping him from joining the party he really belongs to, The Democrats.

[muawiyah]

They did ~ but the propagandists make out like the guy was executed solely for waterboarding. He was actually executed for killing people and cutting off their parts ~ REAL TORTURE.

He did a lot of killing.

Waterboarding was not a capital offense then or now. It shouldn't be an offense at all.

[BenKenobi]

Thanks for the endorsement, Juan.

Thanks for telling us who are the real conservatives in this race.

[jwalsh07]

Well John we prosecute Americans for killing other Americans absent due process. Is death by missile up the whazoo more inhumane than dunking?

[Churchillspirit]

McStain is a disgrace to the uniform he claimed to wear.

Could you explain that please.

[Churchillspirit]

Personally I have no problem with waterboarding the creeps they have at Gitmo, but after what McCain endured I have to respect his opinion on the subject.

[muawiyah]

You’ll have to translate that into some “who struck johns” if I’m supposed to figure out what you just said.

[BenKenobi]

Juan attacking Cain and Bachmann is the same thing as an endorsement.