Olbermann, Mancow Interview: Mancow Discusses Being Waterboarded (VIDEO)

Keith Olbermann interviewed conservative radio host Erich "Mancow" Muller tonigh about his experience being waterboarded. Mancow said he agreed to be interviewed because Olbermann is a "stand up guy" for agreeing to donate $10,000 to a charity benefiting veterans (an offer previously extended to Sean Hannity) after Mancow was waterboarded.

Mancow reaffirmed that the practice was indeed torture and said that his "psychological state" going into the experiment was that he was "laughing at it. I was willing to prove, and ready to prove, that this was a joke, and I was wrong. It was horrific. It was instantaneous. And look, I felt the effects for two days."

Mancow also revealed that his friend Sean Hannity "called me and said 'it's still not torture.'"

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Comments

[JanaK63]

If waterboarding isn't torture, than why don't our police and federal agents use it on their detainees in order to obtain information??? Maybe because it is and has always been considered torture in every other country, including the U.S., until Mr. Bush got into office of course.

[I once had a Crysknife]

They prefer the busting out your tail light nightstick method.

[PwnedByJesus]

The most interesting part of the interview was when Mancow indicated that he would say anything to make it stop. How could you be certain that any of what you heard was the truth? He mentioned that it took him days to recover psychologically. Could you even remember the truth after going through this 183 times like KSM had to?

Chris Hitchens also wanted to experience waterboarding himself. I don't believe he even lasted six seconds. He also claimed that he would say anything, truth or lie, to make it stop. He is now one of the most vocal critics.

Mancow has a huge audience on WLS in Chicago. Its signal bounces all over the Midwest. Hopefully this will open some eyes to the futility of this pointlessly barbaric practice.

[Rolf618]

It takes a real man to admit when he's wrong.
Just reinforces that Sean isnt one

[nini516]

Of Mice and Men. Mancow is the man, Sean is the mouse.

C'mon Sean the challenge still exists. Prove you can walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
Prove you'red a man, and not just a big mouth talking point. It's for charity Sean, C'mon.

http://www.waterboardhannityforcharity.com/

[GhostNyc]

I respect Mancow for actually going thru a simulated waterboarding. I want to clearly state simulated, because we can all agree that real water boarding includes captive being tied down, with a 5 gallon bucket of water, if not a hose, while laying slanted with your feet higher than your head.

Once again- Mancow I applaud you for your courage in actually undergoing this.

Hannity is still a coward.

[MarianneEvans11]

I suggest that KO challenge Hannity to "listen" to Hannity's guests on his show rather than interrupt every 10 seconds and continuously move the talking (can't call it a conversation) in the direction of lashing out a President Obama. His guests aren't always agreeing with him, but Hannity always moves the talking BACK to Pres. Obama. I don't know who can stand to watch a complete show...I know I turn it on out of curiosity to see who the guests are and then swtich off...Inte­rmittently­, when I do view the show, 9 out of 10 I am sorry I even interrupted my normal programming for this shallow person and interview.

[fredisfred]

Agree 100%. And it's the same with Hannity's radio show, which is 100% anti-Obama propaganda.

[deliziosa]

this is quintessential Hannity. his own friend, who typically shares his sordid world views, chooses to be waterboarded and admits it's torture, Hannity the coward who still won't allow himself to be waterboarded to prove otherwise, b/c his yelp is bigger than his bite, maintains that it's not torture pulling this "fact" completely out of his anus, where all his other "values" come from... And people listen to him why?

[LMKay66]

I hope he loses viewers and credibility over this. The only way I think he can save face is to admit WB is torture, or go through it himself.

[imjustawitchywoman]

I wish his viewers would change the channel also.....b­ut......

his "followers" follow him blindly. They are attracted the spin, lies, hatred....­...not truth.

In my opinion Hannity had zero credibility before this.....a­nd now (never thought it was possible) even less.

He won't do it himself...­..and after a fellow Right Wing Lo on does it and says it IS torture Hannity calls to argue his point.

So he is judging his "expert" opinion on what?

[nini516]

Sean Hannity always wimps out when it comes to serving this country.
Mr. "my daddy served in WWII" and Mr. "Ollie North got waterboarded".
What did Sean do, besides throw money, and spew his anger and hatred
across the airwaves? Wimped out on the charity for the soldiers.
Sean should be ashamed of himself.

[Hopster1]

This was waterboarding "lite" if someone can call it such a thing. In real waterboarding cases the individual has their hands tied behind their back or are in other constraints. They are also not made aware that the procedure is to occur so that they cannot prepare for the process. The Shock Value of waterbaording cannot be overstated. And Mancow's response about how it made him think can also not be overstated. He said he "would've said ANYTHING to make it stop." Now, if that is the case then can you really trust the information that you receive?

As John McCain, a decorated war hero, and General Patreaus, another war hero have already stated. Waterboarding is torture and that is not what America is about. Our enemies may not have morals, BUT WE DO. If we do what they do then we are no better than they are. Isn't that the point here? To show that we are the morally and intellectually superior option to the Taliban and Al Qaida? Don't we just give them more recruiting power by torturing?

Cheney's comments on the subject are purely a situation where someone is trying to save their own arse. Try as he might he will NEVER, EVER be able to refute the fact that 9/11 happened on his watch and he'll spend the rest of his days trying to make up for it.

Hannity and his ilk, they are just chicken hawks and nothing more.

[OKSunny]

could not have said it better myself

[ClevelandTom]

Yes, Mancow's waterboarding was definitely the 'lite' version. In addition to what you said, in the real thing one of the interrogators will press up on the subject's diaphram and release forcing the subject to exhale and inhale while the water is being poured. This enhances to effect greatly.

[Jeremy Wrolstad]

I like they found common ground instead of arguing. We need more mainstream media do this. Then as a country we can get somewhere. Welcome aboard righty, we'll be glad to have you.

[WestcoastSteve]

This the sort of bi-partisanship that Obama has been talking about, not merely between politicians, but between all the divided people in the country. Obama has said many times that Americans share most of the same core values, and that if they actually approach each other with respect and talk to each other, some common ground can be found. The President has been called naive for this, but I think it is the right thing to do.

[FredCDobbs]

It was just a moment in time and it took water torturing the guy to achieve it. Not that I think the President is naive.

[JuliaRain]

"I like they found common ground instead of arguing. "

Me too. I appreciated the interview.

[jerrypl]

"Mancow" thanks for laying it out! Hannity--grow up and get real. Stop being a coward and stand behind what you say.

http://eye-on-washington.blogspot.com

[Jeff1958]

From the article: "Mancow also revealed that his friend Sean Hannity "called me and said 'it's still not torture.'"

Hannity is insane. Preventing someone from breathing isn't torture???

[AirForce Vet]

Mancow, if I were you, I wouldn’t include Hannity as a friend, since their seems to be a an issue of trust between you two. In a round about way, he doesn’t believe a word you said. Well, I never would consider Hannity a friend or an acquaintance, since the truth is not in the cretin. Choose your friends carefully Mancow.

[SocialistDistortion]

I'm from Chicago and while I applaud Mancow's stance on waterboard­ing...he's still a d0uche. I can't believe I used to listen to the morning madhouse when I was in high school.

[MalakAlHaq]

I'm also from Chicago and echo those comments.

Just another jerk full of himself who sadly has an audience of all too many.

In a sense listen to him discuss one of his friends that he mentioned during the interview.

He doesn't get any of my radio listening-time; and never will.

[houseboat67]

Which in a weird way makes him all the more credible.

[Whinger]

He only endured it for six seconds unrestrained, so his opinion is a knee jerk reaction!

Let him endure water torture from a pressurized hose for thirty minutes whilst restrained.

He'll have a much better idea of what the victims suffered and endured.

[Heavy]

Six times a day for a month.

[MarianneEvans11]

Let's save that for Sean Hannity and Fox News.....t­hat would break all TV viewing records for sure! C'Mon, Sean, want to try it and break the all time high TV viewers who will watch you get waterboarded with a pressurized hose for 30 seconds...­I won't even ask that it be 30 minutes...­just 30 seconds.
He wouldn't do it for Olbermann's money so maybe he'll do it for the producers of his show to boost the ratings right out of the sky!

[cuomofied]

Wow. It's painfully apparent that, for a lot of you, nothing is ever good enough.

The man came around. Have you been waterboarded yet?

Seriously, grow up.

[InLosAngeles]

This may be a form of torture, and this method of interrogation should be abandoned, but get real.

"Victims"? Khalid Sheik Mohammed, mastermind of 911....a "victim"? Abu Zubaydah? 3 terrorists got waterboarded.

What do you think those people, office workers with loved ones watching on tv, who's only escape from the roaring fires of the WTC was to jump to their death were? Little Eichmans? They were the victims. They were the ones who had to "suffer" and "endure".

Whinger, thank God for you this is a big tent party, because you're twi sted.

[Brent Millar]

I thought Bin Laden was the mastermind?

SO i9f he wasn't, what was his role again?

[pbarba1969]

I give man cow is due. He's a stand up guy. I think these guys didn't do this to get off, but were ordered to get reults and this is how they delivered the answers the Vice President wanted.

We don't torture. America is much much better than that...