Lieberman Supports Waterboarding: 'It's Not Like Using Hot Coals'

Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman reluctantly acknowledged Thursday that he does not believe waterboarding is torture, but believes the interrogation technique should be available only under the most extreme circumstances.

Lieberman was one of 45 senators who voted Wednesday in opposition to a bill that would limit the CIA to the 19 interrogation techniques outlined in the Army field manual. That manual prohibits waterboarding, a method where detainees typically are strapped to a bench and have water poured into their mouth and nose making them feel as if they will drown.

The Senate passed the measure. [...]

"You want to be able to use emergency tech to try to get the information out of that person," Lieberman said. Of course, Lieberman believes such authority has limits. He does not believe the president could authorize having hot coals pressed on someone's flesh to obtain that information.

The difference, he said, is that waterboarding is mostly psychological and there is no permanent physical damage. "It is not like putting burning coals on people's bodies. The person is in no real danger. The impact is psychological," Lieberman said. Lieberman said that his position on waterboarding differs from that of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who he has endorsed as a presidential candidate. As a prisoner-of-war in Vietnam, McCain was tortured. McCain, he said, believes waterboarding is torture.

Comments

[erikpritchard]

That we're publicly debating which kinds of torture are acceptable means we've already lost a fundamental decency. This immoral and illegal behavior is rooted in our involvement in the Middle East.

We need to tend to our own country first instead of these entangling alliances in the middle East. Withdrawl from the middle East would 1)greatly reduce our terrorist problem, 2)greatly reduce the loss of US and foreign life, and 3)greatly reduce our overspending and debt problems.

Those groups that support these disastrous entanglements and their consequences (war, torture, overspending) must be removed from power. Individuals like Lieberman are clearly part of the problem.

[pmorlan]

Joe Lieberman is so pathetic.

[ProudNeoCon]

All of you complain about waterboarding, yet enjoy the benifits of it. All of you were and are protected by intelegence obtained by waterboarding. Yet you sit safely in front of your computer screens and complain about the fact that someone did a dirty work. We used waterboarding 3 times!!!! You make it sound like we use it routinly...

How many of you would refuse to use waterboarding to save your child?

[CAPTAINSKIPPY]

Ok, Joe LieBiggerMan, tell us about hot coals torture techniques, so we know why waterboarding is acceptable.

[LorettaSingbiel]

Now take him to be tortured!

You can't scare me.

Take him to... Detroit!

No! No, not Detroit! No! No, please! Anything but that! No! No!

Stay safe, healthy and happy,
Love, Loretta

[OneLiberalLady]

Lieberman should definitely be McCain's running mate. They could call it "the torture ticket!"

[veracal]

Are Lieberman's Connecticut supporters happy now?

[NotWaldo]

If you really want to know what torture is, just listen to Joe Lieberman making a speech. After 10 minutes, you will name names!

[americanwhocares]

I am looking forward to Jan 09 when the Dem's do not need Lieberman to control the Senate. They will strip him of all chairmanships and put his butt in a basement office in charge of distributing stamps to Senator's office's. He is actually underqualified to do this, but it will keep his lying face out of the public's view.

[donal]

Thank the Republicans in CT for keeping him around... I'm a Democrat in CT and can't stand his showing us his backside on these issues. Maybe it is a good thing he never became VP.

[blackjack]

You can tell that LIE-berman was never wore a U.S. UNIFORM. WHILE I served in Vietnam every one in uniform had to carry a card that told you how to treat any PRISNOR that came into your hands and any kind of torture or mistreatment wes FORBIDEN and you could be tried under the MILLITARY COLD OF JUSTICE if cought doing so. This would mean a streach in FT. LEVINWORTH then a DD. LETS WATREBOARD OL LIE-berman a see if we can get the truth out of him about BEING A DEMOCRAT.

[shawninCT]

Things that ARE like using hot coals:

barbequeing
walking on hot coals to impress your friends
burning incense
sauna
stirring the fire pit
balrogs
cooking on your engine
sterno

listening to Leiberman

[tgood]

Obama Endorses Lieberman for Senate
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2006/04/02/164/90446

Apr 01, 2006

Who came to his rescue? Sen. Barak Obama, with a ringing endorsement."

"I know that some in the party have differences with Joe," Senator Obama said, all but silencing the crowd. "I'm going to go ahead and say it. It's the elephant in the room. And Joe and I don't agree on everything. But what I know is, Joe Lieberman's a man with a good heart, with a keen intellect, who cares about the working families of America."

"Then, with applause beginning to build, he finished the thought: "I am absolutely certain that Connecticut's going to have the good sense to send Joe Lieberman back to the United States Senate." That time, people cheered loudly."

[Semper]

I bet the house, that Lieberman did not serve this country, and got some kind of a deferment.

[HGalal]

Why is he referencing using burning coals? Does he know something that we do not?