Michele Bachmann: Waterboarding Is 'Uncomfortable,' But It Would Be 'Absurd' To Have The President Try It

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and her views on torture tactics are being put to the test.

During last Saturday's Republican debate on foreign policy, the congresswoman was among the candidates condemning President Barack Obama's ban on waterboarding. In a Wednesday interview with the Des Moines Register's editorial board, Bachmann reiterated that she would use the interrogation technique if necessary (the remarks begin at 29:30 in the video clip above).

"Yes I would, because waterboarding does not kill anyone," Bachmann said. "Is it uncomfortable? Yes, it's uncomfortable, but I am more concerned that we would prevent aircraft from going into the Twin Towers, taking them down, and taking out 3,000 innocent American lives, than I am about the comfort level of a terrorist, and what that means for them," referring to the 9/11 attacks.

That answer led the board to take a different turn on the GOP hopeful's perspective. When asked if she would submit to the technique to see what it's like, Bachmann's response was less committal.

"Well, I think that would be absurd -- to have the president of the United States submit themselves to waterboarding," she said. "There are those who have submitted themselves to it so that they can talk about it, and speak about it afterwards. But again, let's look at the context -- the United States of America was attacked in an act of war. We lost the Twin Towers. We lost 3,000 innocent Americans."

Last Sunday, Obama struck a different chord, labeling waterboarding as a form of "torture" that is "contrary to American traditions."

Some Republicans were equally against the support for waterboarding expressed by some GOP candidates, with Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman marking waterboarding as torture. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also denounced the approach in a Monday tweet, writing that he was "very disappointed by statements at SC GOP debate supporting waterboarding."

Opposition aside, Bachmann's position falls in line with her new website. Unveiled last week, www.nosurprises2012.com touts her as a candidate without "policy-flip flops."

"There's no need to compromise on one of the issues that matters to you," the site writes. "She means what she says, and she says what she means."

WATCH the ad below (via Bachmann's YouTube channel):

 

 

Comments

[herenow12]

05:15 PM on 11/28/2011

A little water won't hurt you, Michele!

[Paizley11]

01:33 AM on 12/21/2011

It might mess up her hair.

[TeamSanity]

02:53 PM on 11/27/2011

Christopher Hitchens volunteered to be waterboarded in order to write about it with authority.

Regardless of your politics, you cannot deny that was a brave thing to do - and he's pretty bright as well.

He said it is torture. That months later he still had nightmares.

If America wants to claim it supports freedom, and that it is a good and just place, then torture should not be tolerated. Period. And for those who want a pragmatic rather than moral approach, two other things: experienced interrogators routinely also say torture isn't productive. And our treatment abroad can be even worse if our reputation is one of 'do as I say, not as I do." The Geneva Conventions were created for very good reasons.

[Boopsie2008]

12:09 PM on 11/22/2011

A haiku for Bachmann:

Waterboarding's fine.
It's just a bit "uncomfortable".
Waterboard Bachmann.

[l78lancer]

11:36 AM on 11/19/2011

She is not the president. She is barely a presidsidential cantidate. Any of the cantidates who propose using tatics like this should at the very minimum witness them being used - that is if if they don't get to experience the tactic themselves.

[cma cma]

08:59 AM on 11/19/2011

That is like saying you have to be an elephant to write about elephants or to be executed in order to have an opinion about captital punishment. This shows how mindlessly stupid the Demented Left has become about MB.

[ChaCubed]

10:18 PM on 11/18/2011

Was something omitted from the article, or was she asked if she would agree to being waterboarded and responded that it would be absurd for the President of the United States to do such a thing?

[JohnArcher11]

09:03 PM on 11/18/2011

"Yes I would (use the waterboarding interrogation technique), because waterboarding does not kill anyone". Wow - So if it doesn't kill you then it's not torture? What an unbelievable remark.

[l78lancer]

11:45 AM on 11/19/2011

You are right on point. F/F #91.

[Paizley11]

01:36 AM on 12/21/2011

Well John, don't you find yourself spilling your guts on all of your secrets when you get uncomfortable? :)

[Ronald B. Robinson]

04:21 PM on 11/18/2011

Bachmann is expected to give a news conference to revise her description of waterboarding as "uncomfortable." She will reportedly adopt the new GOP description of torture as, "horsing around."

[l78lancer]

12:10 PM on 11/19/2011

Like making people crawl around and bark like dogs.

[jaborine]

03:12 PM on 11/18/2011

Five children and 23 foster children and we know only that physical punishment is ok in her eyes.
I sincerely hope we don't wake up 10 years from now and realize we overlooked something major.

[lisaman]

01:41 PM on 11/18/2011

One more thing. Yes, Americans died on 9-11. One attack and how many years? How about cancer? How about car accidents? How about the hunger you plan to place upon our children? Why are they less of a concern for you than something that happened once and may never happen again?

I get the impression that this woman only cares about who or what is convenient at any given time.

[Boopsie2008]

12:07 PM on 11/22/2011

She's hunting around for something, anything, that will get her some headlines.

She doesn't seem to realize she's irrelevant in the race to be picked as the GOPT nominee.

[Paizley11]

01:39 AM on 12/21/2011

I can't count how many times she's told us that she's a "Tax Lawyer". I fail to see the connection to qualifying to be President of the United States.

[lisaman]

01:37 PM on 11/18/2011

Uh, sorry Mz Bachmann, pay attention to the question, it was not whether or not our President would submit to waterboarding (or should) but whether or not YOU would submit to it.

[Paizley11]

01:40 AM on 12/21/2011

She repeats what others say, or what the hot topic is. No substance of her own it seems.

[SantaMonican]

01:18 PM on 11/18/2011

Please!
Make her STOP!
Whenever she opens her mouth, it's intellectual torture!

[TeamSanity]

02:55 PM on 11/27/2011

She actually makes me miss Sarah Palin.

[bdcelina777]

01:17 PM on 11/18/2011

If we would have had a President on 9/11 that was more concerned about national security than giving the rich tax entitlements this conversation might not even be happening.

[Lane Webb]

01:08 PM on 11/18/2011

Let's see. You have a college degree. You have been out of work for two years, even after submitting 200 resumes. Your home is in foreclosure, you have no health insurance for your family and the refrig is about empty. You want to hear something from a potential leader that will address the misery that you and thousands or others endure each day....and this peabrain wonders if she would be uncomfortable with waterboarding. This type of indifference of a political party is exactly why thousands are marching in the streets today.

[darrtown]

12:50 PM on 11/18/2011

Michelle, waterboardingistorture. Should you make it policy as POTUS you would open yourself up to impeachment for "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" and with war crimes in other court venues (as in the International Court at the Hague). The real absurdity is that Bush/Cheney have not been charged with war crimes yet.

[TeamSanity]

02:55 PM on 11/27/2011

AMEN!

[Paizley11]

01:46 AM on 12/21/2011

Yes, the US stated water boarding was illegal in the 1960's during the Vietnam war!!