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Subscribe to RSSIn a radio interview this afternoon, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum tried to end the back-and-forth between him and GOP Sen. John McCain over so-called enhanced interrogation techniques. Calling from an Amtrak train headed to his next campaign stop, Santorum told conservative radio host Steve Malzberg that he respects McCain’s opinion on the issue, but remains convinced those interrogation methods are effective in obtaining information from high value detainees.
"I feel nothing ill towards John McCain," Santorum said. "I respect his opinion. But I think he's wrong."
The spat between the two men when McCain, a prisoner of war in Vietnam, penned a Washington Post op-ed arguing that Osama bin Laden’s death can’t be traced to waterboarding or other forms of torture to get information from terror suspects. McCain later took to the Senate floor and, in an impassioned speech, argued against the abusing prisoners to siphon intelligence.
"In my personal experience, the abuse of prisoners sometimes produces good intelligence, but often produces bad intelligence," McCain said. "Under torture a person will say anything he thinks his captors want to hear -- whether it is true or false -- if he believes it will relieve his suffering."
That drew a response from Santorum, who said on Hugh Hewitt's radio program that McCain did not "understand how enhanced interrogation works."
Those close to McCain felt Santorum's assertion was insensitive. Longtime adviser Mark Salter wrote on his Facebook page: "Ron Paul may be the wackiest candidate in the GOP field. But for pure, blind stupidity, nobody beats Santorum. In my 20 years in the Senate, I never met a dumber member, which he reminded me of today."
McCain's press secretary parried questions about the former Pennsylvania senator's remarks while daughter Meghan McCain took to Twitter to defend her father.
After this dust-up, Santorum released a statement to NBC News saying that while he disagreed with McCain’s views on the usefulness of enhanced interrogation techniques, he stressed that he never questioned the Arizona senator’s record of military service or personal integrity.
"For anyone to infer my disagreement with Sen. McCain's policy position lessens my respect for his service to our country and all he had to endure is outrageous and unfortunate," Santorum said.
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What does Santorum know?
This moron has never even served in the military!
Look, I'm NO fan of the old man who yells at pigeons are park benches but, this bagger has a lot of b@lls even bringing this up!
Mr. Santorum should stick to something he does know about, such as viewing animal porn on line! lol
People are watching the back and forth derogatory comments from Santorum and McCain and as often is the case, the issue is lost. Waterboarding, aka Torture is wrong. Civilized societies refrain from such actions.
No shortage of misinformation, disinformation, ignorance, and outright garbage here.
No one - NO ONE - knows beforehand what they would do when subjected to torture. We do know from first-hand accounts, those who are tortured will lie, they will give up good information, they will NOT say anything, they WILL say anything.
We also know that torture is illegal. That should be enough for United States citizens, and to hell with the Cheneys, the Rumsfelds, the Hannitys, the draft-dodging Limbaughs, and we can add to that list the utterly insane Rick Santorum. Check out his bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Santorum.
For those who say we did not lose the war in Viet Nam - you are correct. We won the day we finally left.
Well David Walker you must be under the assertion that our US military special ops forces should in fact sue the military complex for torture. As part of their training, they are subjected to waterboarding.
Since you arguably state it's torture, we are, in your opinion, torturing our own soldiers. How unfortunate for them. I'll bet not one of them would agree with you though.
Maybe I got you wrong. It's only torture when it's applied to enemy combatants, correct? If it's applied to our troops, it's not torture. Are you absolutely certain of that?
BrianB:
Special Ops Forces are just that, special. Yes, in some cases waterboarding is part of their training, and they are well aware that they will be subjected to extreme training. Clearly, you have not been in the service or you would know that service members are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and that they do not enjoy all the legal protections afforded American citizens.
I don't "arguably state" that waterboarding is torture, I FACTUALLY state that waterboarding is torture. That is a matter of law, not opinion.
Yes, I am absolutely certain of the correctness of my post. You Brian, are absolutely wrong.
Waterboarding is BOTH physical and psychological torture. The physical aspect of it is something we can expose ourselves to, as training. The difference, what makes it psychological torture, when it is applied by an enemy in the field, is that the subject doesn't know when, or if, it is ever going to end. In training, you know it is going to end, and you don't have to reveal a secret to attempt to get it to end. And after you have recovered from the training, they aren't going to do it to you again tommorrow and the day after, etc.
Brianb-999431 - Your kidding us right? Spec Ops are our elite fighters. Not only do they volunteer for the training, they put up with waiting lists to become the best of the best. Here's the difference; in their heart of hearts they know their instructors are not going to kill them. They volunteer for the training and experience the unique pride of accomplishment when that training is completed. I don't believe suspects volunteer to be tortured.
Rick Santorum is a piece of dog poo Tea Bagger. Naming him new generation enhanced manure won't change the fact that he still stinks.
Normally I don't go down to name calling, but a POS is a POS.
I don't usually like Sen. McCain, but on this issue he's right, waterboarding is torture and the United States should never, never, never torture.
Hey, Santorum, who knows less about torture...er..."enhanced interrogation techniques"...you, a man who never served in the military and has most likely never seen them in action or Senator McCain who HAS seen them...and probably was subject to them?
...dumbass!
McCain broke under the torture he was exposed to. He spilled everything that he knew. His confession was played over the PA system at the Hanoi Hilton.
Paul-977599
McCain broke under the torture he was exposed to. He spilled everything that he knew. His confession was played over the PA system at the Hanoi Hilton.
Paul as much as i don't like John McCain, i bet you would not last a day in the Hanoi Hilton. for the record he not did spill everything, he did not give military secerts, he did not give information on targets in the north, all he did was confess to being a war criminal something he regrets today.
but i wonder how long you would last if they you were getting the sh*t beat out of you, at the same time you were suffering a broken leg, and other injuries when you bail out. my Uncle was a grunt in vietman and they only took flyers as prisoners, if the captured ground troops they cut off your Johnson and stuck it in there mouth then either put a bullit in your head or left you to die, if you did not die and made it home you would have to piss out of a tube for the rest of your life, this he told us many times, he biggest fear was not being killed but being captured but the north. you can support Santorum that your right, but its like a war vet will tell you, if you were not there, you don't know what your talking about.
the tourture we inflicted on terrorist was a pimple on the elephants ass compaired to what the north vietnamies did to your boys, but the took it and it did the north no DAM GOOD!!
Sounds like you only know about a tenth of the real story. Oh, and by the way, the North VC won.
Paul-977599
Sounds like you only know about a tenth of the real story. Oh, and by the way, the North VC won.
Yea the north won, even though they did not win any major battles they lost about 500k troops while we lost 158k. yea i guess when nixon ordered a major bombing campaign in the north, that forced the north back to peace talkes i guess your right that it had nothing to do with ending the war.
Paul your comments could piss off the nearly 2 million who served and survived. all i'm saying is that unless you go through what John mcCain did and he held he honor as a american soilder you and Santorum can kiss his ass!!!!
and i don't like John McCain!!!!
Jeff, you can oppose someone's politics and still respect them as a person. Well, unless you're a complete ideologue. Kudos for your thoughts.
Paul - The North did not win the war. The politicians here in the states lost the war. As Jeff said, we never lost a battle in the entire war. The TET offensive was a huge military failure for the North, but giant PR win. If we would have went into Viet Nam with clearly defined goals and a strategy to win. That war would not have lasted a third of the time and the outcome would have been very different. ALso, what gives you the right to criticize any POW. It's pretty despicable. As for Santorum, what an idiot. I can't believe that he thinks he has a chance to be the president.
X
The Constitution of the United States gives me the right to inform you of the truth about McCain. He broke under torture.........just a fact, not a criticism. He didn't have to let himself get captured.
"Let himself get captured"?!
Please tell me you're not that stupid as to believe that he "allowed" himself to be captured.
Of course, he allowed himself to get captured. He chose not to fight to the death, nor to off himself, hence he allowed his own capture. Then he broke under torture.
So let's get this straight Paul; you're criticising McCain for not fighting to the death with a broken leg in enemy territory? Wow, you're some piece of work.
Paul I'm not a fan off McCain as a politician but just because you say it Doesn't make it true. Mc Cain as an officer was able to leave but chose to stay. Do some research don't be such an ignorant @!$%#. Easy to be a big HERO at a keyboard, just because he is a republican doesn't mean you can just spew @!$%# and make it stick loser.
Paul - I think we should air-lift you into the Pakistani border region and see how long you last, bereft of central A/C and a keyboard to hamfist your way across.
Correction...1 broken leg and 2 broken arms when he ejected.
...and, Paul, you're still an a**!
You folks are so gullible. It's really rather sad. McCain was a bumbling cocky fool, who benefitted from nepotism. All his pain was of his own making. He is right that torture being employed by us, America, is wrong. Just because he is on the correct side of ONE issue doesn't make him, or me, a hero.
Paul-977599
You folks are so gullible. It's really rather sad. McCain was a bumbling cocky fool, who benefitted from nepotism.
Paul when he was captured he could have told that his father was a high ranking military offical, but he did not, it was only when the news of McCains capture hit the news the North then found out who he was, at that point they got him medical treatment.
Paul Unless you served and was captures, tourtred and held for 5 1/2 years you are much a hero as Bozo the clown.
More proof of your gullibility, jeff.
McCain has forgotten (hopefully) more about torture than a dweeb like Santorum will ever know. Anyone who wouldn't allow McCain the last word on this topic is nuts.
Should we ask KSM what he thinks about torture?
Well, if he's for it, he would be wrong.
Santorum should not argue about things he knows nothing about, but I do not care if he wants to make a fool of himself that`s okay too.
I just hope he keeps on talking like Trump did and in no time the American people will realize what a joke this man is. Thought he was a fool when he said that abortions were the cause of Medicare problems cause we were killing off potential workers. This remark today about a man who was tortured repeatedly for years makes him a damned fool.
I'm watching Lawrence O'Donnell report on Newt's apology(?!) to Paul Ryan for what he said on MTP. A question -
Who is going to apologize to the American people for the Ryan Budget?!? Who?!?
Newt apologizes to Ryan. Unreal. Truly unreal. What a wimp. And he wants to be President? Oh please. There were some awfully funny lines over at HP today about Newt's jewelry bill @ Tiffany's. Especially the comment about him wearing tiara's to bed. Lol.
Everybody do your homework on Romney. He's a real ****. And as phony as they come.
On another note, I don't know how President Obama made it into Boston. The airport is directly across from my office window, and it was so foggy out there, we couldn't see the airport. Glad everyone made it safely. Not sure it was the smart thing to do to fly into Logan today, but I'm not one to know much about landing in such conditions.
PBMA,,,,,,
The Republican party will apologize for the Ryan budget this November......
You Betcha.
Google Santorum
Hate to be so late in commenting, but I had to work late and this really bothers me. If McCain could speak as eloquently as Obama, we'd be weeping over his senate speech. Alas, he's a bit dry. But it truly breaks my heart that any of our soldiers endure what McCain endured. So Santorum's comments are pathetic...heartless...and just plain stupid.
Santorum's a douche.......and McCain's a false hero of a failed war. Both are losers.
Oh, Paul! You're so manly!!!
I don't blame failed wars on the soldiers...and I don't agree with McCain's politics, but I do respect his service.
Paul. And you are? I mean besides a conspiracy theorist and a Bin Laden sympathizer.
How am I a Bin Laden sympathizer? He works for us.........he is Orwell's Goldstein in 1984.
If you don't believe we engage in False Flag operations against ourselves, look up the USS LIBERTY incident. We hired the Israelis to act like Egyptians and attack our own Signint ship.
Ursula: I don't blame McCain for failing at war, or resisting torture, but he failed at both.
Anybody know who this guy is? To have the cojones to say that John doesn't know.......what a fool !!!!
I'd say more like a lack of cojones; kinda like Dick(less) Cheney.
Now I know where all the fools are. Most of the comments are from as they say *damn fools*. Not only that most of you are just silly. We should all bless our stars that we are here and many many good men made it possible. I wonder which one of the dead of 9/11 would care where the information was gotten if it had saved their lives and they could kiss their love ones tonight.
Santorum is an idiot. He's always been an idiot, he always will be an idiot. I'm no fan of McCain, but I know he was tortured during his 5 years as a POW. Torture does not work, ans perhaps Santorum should volunteer for some torture himself. Then again, listening to this moron speak is torture in itself. Have a nice trip to oblivion Rick, it's where you belong. To be straight up honest, you, sir are a piece of s***.
McCain is just a Rino, while he may of been tortured in vietnam, that doesnt mean he saw it from the other side as a way of getting infromation you otherwise wouldn't of got.
Dang them Rinos and Dinos; how dare they not be mindless ideologues!
Maybe, but he knows from experience that you aren't always getting the truth from a tortured person!
Google Santorum!!!
Does Santorum really think anyone cares about his opinion? He is sadly mistaken.
Enough idiots in Pennsylvania thought enough of it to elect him. Try driving those backroads in the north hills; there are some scary @!$%#ers out there.
Sure, use enhanced techniques, like making them listen to "Copa Cabana" on an endless loop or putting them in a windowless room and don't tell them which way is east but I thought as Americans, we were above this physical torture thing.
If we're not, then we are no better than those who led us on the Bataan death march, or any concentration camp gaurd or those that we are fighting.
Lets torture Santorim he torturing us with stupidity. We can hold out a Lolly poop for every time he doesn't known something and by the end of the day he'll tell us everything we didn't want to hear.
I view Santorum as nothing more than a loud mouth punk.
Santorum is proving again why the voters of Pennsylvania voted him out. He is a worthless sack of you know what.
Maybe Santorum should experience a little "enhanced interrogation" so he could understand what it really is! I don't think he understands that it means torture! A little water-boarding should get his attention!
Santorum is a fool's fool! Period. He like others eariler mentioned are driven by hate and an insane notion of elitism of their kind. (Racial simularities non-relevent) But the larger plan here is to his mindset that mkes him think/believe that he and those who propagate there lunatic stances are right, always, and the only ones right! They speak often about the constitution and conforming to it, yet they are all but throwing constitutional conformity out the window to satisfy their ignorance and bigotry. Torture is wrong, wrong, wrong! And he meant exactly what he said about John McCain not understading "inhanced interrogation" if you will. [?] Tell me, what does this nut case understand?
"Saddistic Santorum" is not just mentally ill, and Cognitively Disabled. Yes America! He is criminally insane, and just loves to torture us with his "Super Spewing." "Nutty Newt" is in the Alzheimers Wing of the hospital, and "Saddistic Santorum" is in the Straight Jacket Wing of the very same hospital. Now the GOP/RNC Mental Hospital is very busy this time of year. The GOP/RNC Elephants parked outside in the hospital parking lot can get very loud, and messy. Now where is "Richie Rich Ryan" and his poop shovel?? Oh that's right! He is in the group therapy session with "Trampy Trump" that deals with stealing. Now in the hospital basement "Chump-Change-Cheney will be demonstrating the art or Waterboarding on Romulan Romney. Darth Rove.AKA. Karl Rove will be talking about how Waterboarding is not torture.