Rudy Giuliani Isn't Sure if Waterboarding is Torture

The New York Times reports of a stop Rudy "9/11" Giuliani made in Iowa in which he hemmed and hawed like the worst of politicians when asked a tough question.

Linda Gustitus, who is the president of a group called the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, began her question by saying that President Bush’s nominee for attorney general, Michael B. Mukasey (who happens to be an old friend of Mr. Giuliani’s) had "fudged" on the question of whether waterboarding is toture.
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"I wanted to ask you two questions,’’ she said. "One, do you think waterboarding is torture? And two, do you think the president can order something like waterboarding even though it’s against U.S. and international law?’’

Mr. Giuliani responded: "O.K. First of all, I don’t believe the attorney general designate in any way was unclear on torture. I think Democrats said that; I don’t think he was.’’

Ms. Gustitus said: "He said he didn’t know if waterboarding is torture."

Mr. Giuliani said: "Well, I’m not sure it is either. I’m not sure it is either. It depends on how it’s done. It depends on the circumstances. It depends on who does it. I think the way it’s been defined in the media, it shouldn’t be done.  But I have to see what the real description of it is. Because...[fg ed.] newspapers don’t always describe it accurately."

Mr. Giuliani, may I call you Rudy?  Oh, well, I'm gonna anyway.  Listen, Rudy, hop up on this table inclined toward the floor here.  I'm just gonna demonstrate something.  Here, take this rag and cover your face.  Wait, let me do it.  Now, I'm just going to put this hose over your head.

What's that?  You say you can't breathe?  Well, then I guess the newspapers weren't exagerating, you miserable excuse for human excrement.  It must actually be torture.

Go figure.

Here's my other favorite part.

"If I can’t figure out that there’s been a significant media bias against this war, then I shouldn’t be running for president of the United States."
(Applause)

No, Rudy, there's a significant reality bias against this war, but you're too busy trying to be the tough guy from 9/11 country to understand or admit it.  Rudy says something completely asinine, and all the 24%ers clap like trained seals.  It must suck to be those people, who are so scared all the time that they can sell their souls and justify torture just to ease their minds a little bit.  There is a special place reserved in Hell for those folks, and the great cosmic joke of it is they're already in it.

Lord help the rest of us.

•  Tip Jar

  If this guy wins, we're screwed.

  by filmgeek83 on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 08:18:46 PM PDT

  •  Guilliani isn't sure

    about a number of things:

    Will his wife will sit-in on cabinet meetings - maybe she won't.

    Whether child molestation is bad or not

    Whether he likes silk or velvet
    

    by Alice AN on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 11:20:39 PM PDT

•  I he wins

  look for me in France , Ok ?

  by indycam on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 08:24:52 PM PDT

•  For a refreshing statement about waterboarding

  click over to the Senate Judiciary Committee Dems' letter to Mukasey demanding he admit waterboarding is torture.

  Damn, it's about time.

  by Simplify on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 08:27:17 PM PDT

•  it's simple, waterboard the bastards and let 'em

  decide if it's "torture."  If it's only "interrogation," who's afraid to answer some honest questions?

  by Compound F on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 08:28:28 PM PDT

  •  These tough guys should volunteer to be water-

    boarded.  They could go on Leno and show us how "ordinary" it is.  We could even have prizes if they can beat Kalid Sheik Mohammad's time under water.

    by rflowers on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 08:48:00 PM PDT

•  Anonymous Liberal

  writes about this as a guest over at Greenwald's place. Among other things he says:

  Perhaps the most revealing part of Giuliani's response was his comment that whether waterboarding is torture "depends on who does it." That pretty much sums up the prevailing right-wing view on this issue: It's not torture when we do it. It's American exceptionalism taken to an absurd and frightening extreme. It doesn't matter that we draft detailed reports every year chastising all other countries in the world who are known to engage in this activity. It doesn't matter that we've prosecuted people in the past for war crimes for engaging in this same activity. Somehow acts that we would all agree are torture when committed by other countries cease to be torture when they are authorized by the U.S. government (but only for us; it's still torture if others do it).

  by Demi Moaned on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 08:29:39 PM PDT

  •  it's like that with EVERYTHING the GOP does

    If THEY do it, it's not a crime (see wiretapping, declaring war on a country that didn't attack us, signing statements, firing US attorneys for political reasons, etc...)

    by NorthlandLiberal on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 08:46:25 PM PDT

    •  To say nothing of...

      lying and vituperative attacks on those who disagree with you.

      by Demi Moaned on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 09:08:55 PM PDT

•  did you hear how this contemptible pandering ass

  said he wanted the Red Sox to beat the Yankees?

  by bufford on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 08:35:14 PM PDT

  •  Actually...

    he said he wanted them to win the World Series.  The Yanks were out by the time of the pander.  You are correct on all other counts.

    by filmgeek83 on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 08:41:43 PM PDT

    •  Thank you

      I actually feel much better

      by bufford on Fri Oct 26, 2007 at 07:37:13 AM PDT

•  Giuliani is TOO sure about waterboarding....

  Depends on how it's done and who is doing it.

  I'm quite sure Giuliani has it all worked out in his mind.......who the bad guys are, who the good guys are.

  If you and I try it as an experiment, or if we agree to train each other to endure it...then it's not torture.

  He's lying, obfuscating...like the best GOP players who won't tip their hand or show their true faces.

  by LNK on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 09:49:20 PM PDT

•  Hey Rudy.

  If you want to know whether waterboarding is torture, submit yourself to what Khalid Sheik Mohammed went through. No, don't try the two minute version. Be the terrorist. Go ahead. Do the full menu. And when you're done, if your still psychologically intact, go back and have it done again, just like the "enemy combatants" must do.

  Maybe you'll begin to understand what torture is.

  Asshole.

  by Eyeball Kid on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 09:49:54 PM PDT

•  Do unto others...

  what you would have them do unto you.

  Pretty simple, eh, Rudy?

  by Eyeball Kid on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 09:51:08 PM PDT

•  giuliani and Hillary agree on this

  Niether one will specifically say whether or not they are against water-boarding.  

  by badgerbrat on Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 10:29:14 PM PDT