William Delahunt (D-MA) told VP Dick Cheney aide David Addington how delighted he was to have al-Qaeda see him on C-SPAN during a Congressional hearing yesterday, a remark that everyone except Delahunt took as meaning that he’d like to see AQ terrorists kill Addington.  My good friend Scott Johnson at Power Line has the video of the exchange:

Delahunt asked repeatedly whether the topic of waterboarding, a controversial interrogation technique that simulates drowning, ever came up.

Addington replied that he could not discuss that because “al Qaeda may watch C-SPAN.”

“Right,” Delahunt responded. “Well, I’m sure they are watching, and I’m glad they finally have the chance to see you, Mr. Addington.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re pleased,” Addington shot back.

“Given your penchant for being unobtrusive,” Delahunt said of Addington’s ability to stay behind the scenes.

Delahunt called into the Mark Levin Show last night to address the controversy over these remarks. He first offered a denial as to his intention, and then apologized for his inartful statement poor wording:

The left, while attacking Charlie Black for stating the obvious — that a terrorist incident helps the GOP politically because they are seen as more competent in the national security arena — is defending this degradation of congressional discourse and vile swipe at Mr. Addington.

This discourse — a member of Congress glad Al Qaeda has a face it can pursue — is beneath the dignity of the Congress and beneath the dignity of civil discourse in this country.

If you do not call your Congressman today and demand the House of Representatives, at the very *least*, censure Congressman Delahunt, well damn us all. We have no right to carry on our fight.

I consider this far more egregious than anything Charlie Black said. It deserves censure, and I’d encourage people to call their Representatives and Senators to insist on it, but I’m not sure it rises to the level where we lose our right to dissent otherwise if we don’t. Delahunt is a first-class jerk and, after listening to this clip, a bit of a weasel as well, but let’s not make him into Adam Gadahn and sound hysterical.

Someone should ask Barack Obama about this as well. Delahunt is one of his superdelegates and an early supporter of Obama’s in the primaries. Does Obama share Delahunt’s glee, or will he criticize Delahunt with the same zeal his campaign demonstrated with Black?