Olby to Mancow: Tell me how awful waterboarding is
posted at 3:56 pm on May 27, 2009 by Allahpundit
If our modern-day Murrow was so curious to know, he could have taken a much more direct route to finding out. As it is, this is one of the precious few times you’ll find him deigning to interview a conservative — and naturally, it’s a missed opportunity. The salient policy question here isn’t “how bad was it?”, it’s “knowing what you know now, do you still condone it in emergency situations?” The closest Olby gets to that is to ask Mancow if he thinks he’d get a truthful answer from a suspect who’s been waterboarded, but that’s a variable that’ll turn on what an individual suspect knows and what his particular reaction to the process is. (Mancow says if he had any information he’d have given up, then adds that he’d have said anything to make it stop.) Unless Kayo’s suggesting that no suspect would ever react by giving up useful information, his question’s a non-starter. The better line of attack is to ask whether, irrespective of its usefulness, the technique is so inhumane that it simply shouldn’t be used. That’s a non-starter too, of course — in a true emergency situation, with an attack impending, the CIA will do what it has to do whether it’s legal or not — but at least it cuts to the heart of the matter.
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Again, who is Mancow?
MadisonConservative on May 27, 2009 at 3:58 PM
Idiot to idiot
therightwinger on May 27, 2009 at 3:59 PM
If Olby wants to hear from someone on the right, what’s wrong with Meghan McCain?
Cicero43 on May 27, 2009 at 3:59 PM
I don’t know what a “Mancow” is, but do I assume correctly it’s more feminine than a Shep and has never served a day in the military?
Marcus on May 27, 2009 at 3:59 PM
Doesn’t look like Mancow has any permanent damage… Survey says: Not Torture!
saltydogg14 on May 27, 2009 at 4:00 PM
Why is Mancow allowing himself to be used by Olby? I had more faith in him.
Pasalubong on May 27, 2009 at 4:01 PM
How about Colin Powell? Has he ever been water boarded?
davek70 on May 27, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Hussein’s AG already admitted its not torture. Case closed. Its not fun for sure, but it IS effective.
dogsoldier on May 27, 2009 at 4:01 PM
What people will do to get on TV. Nice stunt.
sherry on May 27, 2009 at 4:02 PM
Um … yeah. It’s supposed to be awful. Without actually harming anyone. That’s kind of the whole point. It’s just a really sweet bonus that talk show hosts and Z-list celebs can go on air to chat about experiencing it after enduring the horror!
Hey, somebody should ask Daniel Pearl how awful his torture was.
Oh. Wait.
Professor Blather on May 27, 2009 at 4:03 PM
They ought to interview this dope and one of Saddam Hussein’s victims who had his feet dipped into a metal shredder, or who had his fingers choppoed off, or was thrown off a roof, etc. I’d like to have him assert that they were both tortured in the presence of someone like that.
Akzed on May 27, 2009 at 4:03 PM
He has a radio show in Chicago. Used to listen to him out here in the Bay Area until he was fired on the air.
Sanjoboy on May 27, 2009 at 4:03 PM
Given that the jerk already had a pathological fear of drowning, from a childhood incident, why would anyone put any credence in Boycalf’s little experiment??
LegendHasIt on May 27, 2009 at 4:04 PM
Yes, this is the type of discussion that will help us learn more about how to balance liberty vs. security and how to deal with the moral complexities of life and death decisions during war against a fanatic enemy that violates all norms of warfare.
A radio buffoon being interviewed by a cable news buffoon.
Swell….
SteveMG on May 27, 2009 at 4:04 PM
Sounds to me like Mancow just found his “Strange New Respect”.
AUINSC on May 27, 2009 at 4:04 PM
I wonder how long it would take Olby (and many of the sanctimonious left) to change his mind on the use of violence against evil if he received a phone call such as this: “Mr. Olberman, we have your wife and we will kill her if you don’t do exactly as we say”.
keyboarddude on May 27, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Good to see Olby is finally challenging himself to a debate with someone who disagrees with him….
Scrappy on May 27, 2009 at 4:05 PM
He knows he can’t hold a candle to her intellect.
Joe Caps on May 27, 2009 at 4:05 PM
whatev…
Mike D. on May 27, 2009 at 4:06 PM
If it’s something you volunteered to do, it ain’t torture.
CDeb on May 27, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Olby to Mancow:
I’ll fellate you if you’ll say waterboarding is torture.
BobMbx on May 27, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Mancow – 1
Thousands of SERE trained soliders – Priceless
I’m with the guys in uniform on this one
gatorboy on May 27, 2009 at 4:06 PM
More FoxNews personalities have been waterboarded than terrorists.
All this latest waterboarding stunt proves is that it is not torture… and it works…
mankai on May 27, 2009 at 4:06 PM
NO NO NO NO. He said MANcow.
You are thinking of WOMANcow.
***silly***
seejanemom on May 27, 2009 at 4:07 PM
True. Too bad Olby doesn’t have the steel cajones to try this first hand
gatorboy on May 27, 2009 at 4:07 PM
Wait weren’t we told that people who waterboard others are arrested? Are his torturers in jail yet?
Esthier on May 27, 2009 at 4:07 PM
Wouldn’t work…
However, “Mr. Olberman, we have your hairbrush…” might do the trick.
Scrappy on May 27, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Useful tool.
Cindy Munford on May 27, 2009 at 4:08 PM
I hope these dudes have prepared their wife, daughters, loved ones, etc., that they will be on their own should something happen to them.
“Sorry honey, but my high moral ground precludes me from trying to get information out of this slime ball from the gang who abducted you. I was thinking that if we are really nice to him that rest of the gang will realize this and voluntarily release you, completely unharmed, of course, and willingly submit themselves to authorities.”
Hey, I just formulated a foreign policy approach!
Wussies.
yubley on May 27, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Are you sure about that?
That’s what everyone is counting on. But I wonder how true it is.
If you’re a mid-level CIA guy, and you’ve watched the media circus surrounding this silliness for the last few years … and you’ve got a guy in front of you that you’re pretty sure knows about an imminent attack …
Do you really go Jack Bauer on him? What if you know the attack isn’t in your city. It won’t affect you or your family. And you know – you KNOW after watching all this – that if you truly torture this guy … you’ll eventually be turned in a pariah. You’ll be Hitler to millions.
Even if the attack actually happens. And God help you if, by torturing the guy, you actually PREVENT thousands from dying. You’re a hero, right? Not so much. Suddenly, you’re a monster who tortured someone for NO REASON AT ALL. Since, you know, nothing happened.
I’m not as confident as you are that most government agents would take that risk. I hope you’re right.
But far too often – especially on this topic – we crucify our heroes and embrace our villiains in this society. So who’s going to volunteer to be the hero?
Professor Blather on May 27, 2009 at 4:09 PM
mancow, wimp
Conservative Voice on May 27, 2009 at 4:10 PM
What a puss. 6 seconds? JetBoy is more of a man than this Chicago faggot.
leetpriest on May 27, 2009 at 4:11 PM
With all due respect to Mancow — HORSEHOCKEY.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: No one in his/her right mind volunteers for anything they truly believe is torture.
This is just grandstanding.
johnsteele on May 27, 2009 at 4:11 PM
Idiot to idiot
therightwinger on May 27, 2009 at 3:59 PM
Drip to drop…
soulsirkus on May 27, 2009 at 4:11 PM
I used to think he was kinda funny when he was on Fox & Friends…now, not so much.
ladyingray on May 27, 2009 at 4:11 PM
So Mancow went on because Olby gave $10,000 to a Veterans Charity. Let’s not overlook this.
- The Cat
MirCat on May 27, 2009 at 4:12 PM
I’m not. Why would anyone willingly participate in this knowing that once the smoke cleared they’d be prosecuted.
It’s a big concern of mine. If I really believed that they might do this and just not tell us like some real life CTU from 24, I’d feel a little better about this debate, but talks of prosecution convince me otherwise.
Esthier on May 27, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Dumb being interviewed by dumbest.
Percy_Peabody on May 27, 2009 at 4:13 PM
I don’t know Mancow either, but if he chose to legitimize MSNBC and Olbermann then he is no conservative. Even if he decided that waterboarding was “torture,” there was no reason to go on that television program. In my mind, both actions mark him as some weird attention seeker.
JiangxiDad on May 27, 2009 at 4:13 PM
One of the ex-Gitmo detainees allegedly had his genitals mutilated in Morocco during rendition by the US and UK.
Team Obama threatened the UK if they gave details about the rendition process.
Obama supports rendition.
I sure dont see anyone volunteering themselves for that, do you?
Chuck Schick on May 27, 2009 at 4:13 PM
For the last time: Why am I supposed to be concerned about what we do to terrorists who are withholding from us information that may save American lives?
BuckeyeSam on May 27, 2009 at 4:13 PM
Is that necessary?
Is it stupid of me to hope than we can save the name-calling for those who actually mean us harm?
I know, question asked and answered….
Esthier on May 27, 2009 at 4:13 PM
I watched Mancow’s waterboarding on YouTube. He gets poured on, gets up, tells us how horrible it is, then thanks the Marines for coming in and demonstrating the technique. He then proceeds to go on with his show.
To me, torture should at least disrupt your ability to continue your work for a few minutes.
hawksruleva on May 27, 2009 at 4:14 PM
BigD to Allahpundit: Let me tell you what a stupid post this is …
Olby and Mancow — Dumber and Dumb
BigD on May 27, 2009 at 4:14 PM
good point.
JiangxiDad on May 27, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Yeah, you should at the very least need a smoke break after, if not something a little stiffer.
Esthier on May 27, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Allah, you put an awful lot of analysis in to this one, when all that really needs to be said is “it’s Olby”. Seriously, there doesn’t need to be any deep thinking when it comes to anything this scumbag does. That said, Mancow is a douche for going on his show.
RightWinged on May 27, 2009 at 4:16 PM
Obama supports abortion – even the murder of babies who are born alive.
I don’t see anyone volunteering themselves for that, either.
Daggett on May 27, 2009 at 4:16 PM
Tell me how awful waterboarding is….
Obly, it is so bad it landed me on TV plus I received invites to many red carpets around the country.
Limerick on May 27, 2009 at 4:16 PM
Sad.
I liked him on Fox and Friends, too.
blatantblue on May 27, 2009 at 4:17 PM
Did no one notice that he slammed Olby at least 4 times during the interview?
- The Cat
P.S. As hawksruleva pointed out it’s not torture. Uncomfortable and scary? Yeah, so are a lot of things.
MirCat on May 27, 2009 at 4:18 PM
I don’t think waterpouring is any worse than the mental torture my dad and his coworkers at American Airlines had to go through for months on end after 9/11, thinking every flight out of LaGuardia was their last.
I’m so sick of this damn waterboarding BULLSH*T.
blatantblue on May 27, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Cast me out, Mancow, for I don’t care what the terrorists felt like. None. Zip. Nada. I have more concern over the fate of the fire ants I baited last weekend.
Limerick on May 27, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Fun with Eric Holder. In testimony before Congress, he says waterboarding in SERE isn’t torture, and adds that torture is determined at least partly by intent. If you don’t mean it as torture, it’s not torture.
hawksruleva on May 27, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Try a belly flop, after attempting a dive off the high board sometime. That’s like hitting a board of water.
capejasmine on May 27, 2009 at 4:20 PM
You know what I’d love to see?
Palin and Lynne Cheney volunteer for a round of waterboarding, endure it, acknowledge that it’s uncomfortable, call naysayers a bunch of feckless cowards, and give a thumbs up to waterboarding.
BuckeyeSam on May 27, 2009 at 4:20 PM
I just looked at mancows website for a radio station search apparently he’s NOT on the air in chicago it list only ONE station in the entire state of Illinois and thats in macomb(which is by the quad cities). Does anyone know how accurate his site is? When I left chicago back in Sept he was NOT on the air there and hadnt been for a good year since he was fired from Q101.
Kevin43 on May 27, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Is this a lesbian porn flick?
‘Cuz all I see are two pussies.
omnipotent on May 27, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Yeah no kidding.
We also use sleep deprivation, cold/hot rooms, invoking fear (making up rooms to make it look like they were in Saudi police headquarters about to be tortured, etc), loud music, etc. No one’s complaining about those.
All are forms of physical and psychological torture. All of which are administered until the person starts talking. What’s the difference?
Chuck Schick on May 27, 2009 at 4:23 PM
From what I’ve read, Obama seems to have reserved the right to order water boarding under the right circumstances (without specifically defining those circumstances, of course). But in the legal environment being created by this administration, no one is safe from prosecution. Methinks he’s poisoned the well.
Dee2008 on May 27, 2009 at 4:24 PM
So you thought you were drowning, pretty effective, eh?
Any permanent damage, stretched intestines? Burst lung capillaries? Sprained tendons even? Other than having no problems going in the little potty chair when Mommy turns on the water?
BTW what did you confess too, that requires a cover story?
Speakup on May 27, 2009 at 4:24 PM
He’s on AM now. It’s a talk show, scheduled right before Rush. I don’t think he is doing very well, poor ratings.
sherry on May 27, 2009 at 4:24 PM
It’s actually not the inevitable eventual prosecution that would bother me if I were a CIA agent. It’d be knowing that I’d become a media target and turned into a hated symbol all over the world.
A couple years in jail? Fine. Having my friends and family and kids have to endure the Palin/Richard Jewel treatment on steroids? Not so fine.
That’s real torture.
Professor Blather on May 27, 2009 at 4:24 PM
girliemen
youngO on May 27, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Totally
blatantblue on May 27, 2009 at 4:26 PM
This might increase MSNBC’s rating by 100% to 20 viewers.
angryed on May 27, 2009 at 4:26 PM
I think we should spend a week spend a week debating each of the EITs.
We’ve done waterboarding to death. What about the sadistic and brutal collar grab? What about the wall slam, in which the walls are specially constructed out of flexible material to produce more noise and less injury?
What about the dreaded INSECT IN THE ROOM? GITMO must be one frickin’ clean place, because where there’s flies or ants, there is also torture. Right?
hawksruleva on May 27, 2009 at 4:27 PM
Thanks for that great link, I’d missed that one!
omnipotent on May 27, 2009 at 4:27 PM
what a fake pu$$y.
If thats all the waterboarding he can handle…haha…i am glad they didn’t have him do the test to see “Is Clinging to the side of a burning skyscraper 70 stories in the air knowing your life is about to end in minutes and you have the choice of faceplanting the pavement far far below or being charbroiled as your only viable exit strategies” torture?
BillaryMcBush on May 27, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Nobody is saying waterboarding is effective 100% of the time. But its better than twiddling our thumbs hoping Mohammad al-Terrorist gives up the info freely.
Speedwagon82 on May 27, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Two seconds after it was over: “I’m fine.”
Ronnie on May 27, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Mancow has a talk radio show on Sirius as a conservative commentator. Since he played the whore for Olby, his show should be canceled. Olby feeds on right nutjobs and Mancow is a main course.
volsense on May 27, 2009 at 4:30 PM
None of that compares to the terrifying panties on the head procedure.
Cicero43 on May 27, 2009 at 4:30 PM
Actually a good point. What’s with the obsession with waterboarding, anyway? Is our “torture” reportoire really that limited?
Professor Blather on May 27, 2009 at 4:32 PM
The Liberal position is black/white, no grey.
The Conservative position is “nuanced”.
Switch up. Strange world.
I wonder if I would come down on the other side if Obama had okayed the water boarding… all else being equal.
Enough of that! Cheney Rocks!
petunia on May 27, 2009 at 4:34 PM
Ridiculous! Did he really think it would just be mildly unpleasant like a surprise wave in the ocean? Something being very unpleasant and imposable to resist does not equal torture. You don’t get tortured then immediately sit up and have a calm conversation afterward.
So this is torture and drilling into your eyeball is just the same thing, torture. What we have here gentlemen is a failure of the language, nothing more. I will volunteer for water boarding for $100. You will never pay me enough to be tortured. Even an everyday root canal is worse than this. If we repaired a terrorist’s teeth, it would be considered torture. We lack the words and the honesty to deal with this issue.
bagoh20 on May 27, 2009 at 4:34 PM
I say we hang him from his fingernails, then ask him which of the two is torture.
cntrlfrk on May 27, 2009 at 4:34 PM
I’m sick of this crap. I volunteer, live on all major news networks, to be both waterboarded AND have two fingernails pulled out. Will that get anyone to shut up? Will that give me the right to define “torture?”
LordDilly on May 27, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Wate boarding is too good for Olby boy. But “Man Cow” is a great puppet for bathtub boy.
Just simply add your name to the FIRE KEITH OLBERMANN petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/fire-keith-olbermann
It’s doung really well!
afotia on May 27, 2009 at 4:35 PM
I can’t stomach olbermann so I didn’t watch the clip but from your comments it doesn’t seem like a lost opportunity at all. Seems olberfruit asked careful safe questions. Lawyers always say so don’t ask a question if you don’t know the answer you’re going to get. He had a so called conservative on his show saying how horrible waterboarding is. Seems like a victory in the propaganda war.
peacenprosperity on May 27, 2009 at 4:38 PM
No, because after the fingernail removal you would, like John McCain, lose your ability to differentiate between real torture and faux torture.
Dee2008 on May 27, 2009 at 4:41 PM
Don’t forget that having a woman sit on a male prisoner’s lap was borderline torture.
hawksruleva on May 27, 2009 at 4:41 PM
If anyone already said this, please forgive me.
GIRL COW. got MANBOARDED
/of course that gives a bad name to Cowgirls.
Key West Reader on May 27, 2009 at 4:43 PM
Was starfleet_dude banned or something?
I cannot believe he has not chimed in with the facts of the situation.
Waiting for him to do so has just been…torture!
kybowexar on May 27, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Actually, let me refine my proposal: start first with lap-dancing, then panties on my head, then ugly women laughing at my genitals, then sleep deprivation, then a bug in my room, then waterboarding, then fingernail removal.
LordDilly on May 27, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Mancow, Hm?
Funny, he doesn’t look like Rachel Maddow.
Sekhmet on May 27, 2009 at 4:45 PM
No respectable “Conservative” would allow Olby to use him as a prop for his asinine views. The guy had about 15 seconds of fear and extreme discomfort. Kind of like I did when I was young and bigger kids would hold me under water in the pool and I couldn’t breath anymore. It sucked but it did not inflict lasting physical and mental pain. Hence, it does not meet the definition of torture. The pussification of America continues unabated. We sit here and over analyze this nonsense and the terrorists kill without conscious and plan their next attack.
echosyst on May 27, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Reminds me of a rough night I had in Amarillo a few years back….
cntrlfrk on May 27, 2009 at 4:46 PM
It’s suppose to be awful. And enough with this people will say anything under torture. One, it is not torture in that it does not leave you with any lasting harm. The Japanese method, which they are so fond of bringing up, the water is allowed to go in the person’s lungs. We don’t allow that. Two, they corroborate the information they receive to make sure it is correct. duh. Leftards are so dumb.
Blake on May 27, 2009 at 4:46 PM
Hey, don’t underestimate the effectiveness of this particular EIT. Think Helen Thomas or Barbara Walters…
Dee2008 on May 27, 2009 at 4:48 PM
johnsteele on May 27, 2009 at 4:11 PM
What he said!
ladyingray on May 27, 2009 at 4:49 PM
If people are willing to do it on their own it is not torture.
Tremmy on May 27, 2009 at 4:51 PM
Yes and the CIA interrogators would just take whatever information to come from waterboarding and just run with it. No analysis at all.
Caper29 on May 27, 2009 at 4:52 PM
I’m confused. The panties on thead procedure has always been part of a comprehensive procedure for me, and normally is quite memorable, but I wouldn’t describe it as terrifying.
My wife thinks it’s funny when i put her…well, we won’t go there. Uh oh….maybe the jokes’ on me…is it supposed to hurt or something?
BobMbx on May 27, 2009 at 4:53 PM
Get OUT! If Meghan gets waterboarded, will she do it on PayPerView and donate the proceeds to charity? Maybe she and Laura Ingraham can challenge each other to a waterboard endurance event for breast cancer. I’m all over that.
Mark30339 on May 27, 2009 at 4:53 PM
Mancow = Bull
That’s all anyone needs to know about this.
Right_of_Attila on May 27, 2009 at 4:54 PM
Mama Cass too.
BobMbx on May 27, 2009 at 4:54 PM
Heh. AP once said, if I look out my apt. window and see a 747 coming straight at me, I want it to be *real* menstrual blood this time.
Blake on May 27, 2009 at 4:54 PM
Mancow used to be a morning FM shock jock in the Steve Dahl/Howard Stern mode, only not as good. Eventually, that well dried up for him, and now he’s trying to get some cred as a conservative talker.
If this is how he intends to make his bones, I hope he fails.
Kensington on May 27, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Olby, a Liberal,paid $10,000.00 for Mancow to be waterboarded!
Interesting!
canopfor on May 27, 2009 at 4:59 PM
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