Leak: CIA interrogation techniques revealed

posted at 6:54 pm on September 18, 2006 by Allahpundit
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They’re seeking Congressional authorization for seven discrete procedures, each more brutal than the last. The Guardian has a complete list. Click here if you want to see, but be forewarned — they’re extremely graphic. The “attention grab,” in particular, is the stuff of which nightmares are made.

McCain’s on a moral masturbation tour of New Hampshire right now in which he nobly asserts that belly-slapping Khaled Sheikh Mohammed would make us no better than terrorists without ever actually explaining how and why. The Times covered it, and as you can see, the fix is in:

Senator John McCain, who is battling with the White House over the interrogation and trial of terrorism suspects, on Sunday flew to New Hampshire — and right into a blistering editorial from the conservative Manchester Union-Leader that assailed him for standing up to President Bush on the issue.

No, they assailed him for being a sanctimonious jackass whose cavalier attitude towards the utility of these techniques is apt to get people killed. Read it for yourself. Now, back to the Times piece. Forgive me for impugning St. John’s motives, but do I detect a faint whiff of political calculation?

Mr. McCain said Sunday that he was acting out of conscience, not political calculation, to reinforce an image of independence that has been questioned in recent months as he has supported Mr. Bush on issues like the war in Iraq. Still, he said his office had been deluged with critical phone calls, and that he had picked up enough buzz from conservative radio talk stations to conclude that he might have once again rattled his support among conservatives.

“I would imagine so,” he said, riding in a helicopter rumbling over the New Hampshire hills as it took him to a Nascar race at the New Hampshire International Speedway. “The radio talk show hosts have already been very critical.”

John McCain, scourge of heavy-breathing wingnut talk-radio listeners everywhere. He can afford to position himself that way since he’s more socially conservative than Giuliani is; it’s his sop to party centrists. I wonder if he expected Romney to turn around and attack him from the right by backing Bush, though. Read the article for McCain’s entertainingly snotty response to that.

Speaking of entertainingly snotty, it seems our friend Andrew has instituted a new “award” over at the blogosphere’s answer to the Vatican. Kaus has details and offers a nominee. Ace wondered earlier today,

Is there anyone at all, right, left, or middle, who actually likes Sullivan? Yes yes: he has tens of thousands of readers. But isn’t that a severe underperformance for someone with his name recognition?

To which I say: not at all. To be really big, like Michelle Malkin, say, you have to indulge in “constant hysteria.”

It’s his sober, cautious approach to world events that keeps Sully’s hit count down.

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