Cheney: a breath of foul stench

There's something refreshing about Cheney's honesty. It's like the cold breeze out of freshly opened crypt. Then the stench hits ...

Cheney Doesn't Back Waterboarding

HENNEN : I’ve had people call and say, ‘Please, let the vice president know that if it takes dunking a terrorist in water, we’re all for it, if it saves American lives.’ Again, this debate seems a little silly given the threat we face, would you agree?

CHENEY: I do agree. And I think the terrorist threat, for example, with respect to our ability to interrogate high-value detainees like Khalid Sheik Mohammed, that’s been a very important tool that we’ve had to be able to secure the nation. Khalid Sheik Mohammed provided us with enormously valuable information about how many there are, about how they plan, what their training processes are and so forth—we’ve learned a lot. We need to be able to continue that. . . .

HENNEN: Would you agree a dunk in water is a no-brainer if it can save lives?

CHENEY: Well, it’s a no-brainer for me, but for a while there I was criticized as being the vice president for torture. We don’t torture. That’s not what we’re involved in. We live up to our obligations in international treaties that we’re party to and so forth. But the fact is, you can have a fairly robust interrogation program without torture, and we need to be able to do that.

Simulated drowning is not torture, therefore we don't torture. Wow, what a stroke of brilliance. It works for everything. I'll try it the next time I get a speeding ticket. "Officer, driving 110 mph in a 55 mph zone is not speeding, therefore I do not speed."