Hannity Wants to Be the Face of US Torture

You wouldn't necessarily think that the right wing would want to distinguish itself by its enthusiasm for torture, but that's clearly the message Sean Hannity is gleefully sending by his offer to be waterboarded.

Before getting to torture's attractions, let me make two points: My colleague at Vanity Fair, Christopher Hitchens, who is sometimes partial to right-wing positions, has already had himself waterboarded and written about it to vivid effect. So, Hannity knows he can do this with little risk. But the second point is that Hannity will never do it. I once filled in for the hapless Alan Colmes on the Hannity and Colmes Show, and Hannity spent the whole show completely obsessed with the placement of every strand of his hair. That guy's not going underwater (even for a major ratings coup).

Oh, and a third point: If he is going to do this, we ought to insist it be done to him 183 times--the number of times the US waterboarded Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a single month--the terror being in the repetition.

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Comments

[babyboomerorig]

My observations show that the Republicans in general, especially the far right, speak their Christian values, vote on gay rights and abortion, then throw the Christian values right out the window. Compassionate Conservatism...not even close and that one's a biggy. Their passion for war is obsessive. The more they can fight, the better they feel and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with promoting democracy...they love to fight. For these few reasons, I know how much torture means to them. It's the same belief that is parallel to the Islamic far right. It's the same belief that makes some men feel that hitting your wife/girfriend is ok because it makes you a man and women are supposed to do what the man says to do....they're the king of their kingdom and nobody is allowed to disrupt that domain in any way.

They're sick!

[SgtMac]

Does this mean that if Hannity does NOT immediately start telling the truth (for the 1st time) that torture doesn't work?

[joetherealist]

I volunteer to administer the act....repeatedly.

[oncethere]

Sean's face is torture.

[luckybear]

Sean is a coward. You'd think a conservative that loves strict constructionist judges would want to follow the law and our constitution and not bend over backwards to allow what many would consider torture. Torture is illegal and shouldn't be acceptable. If anything is fair game then we better just give up on being the liberal free society and start becoming the villain full time. Torture is wrong and Hannity is a tool. Our country can do better.

[Kelface]

Conservatives are SO worried about life that they execute prisoners (some innocent). Now that is hypocritical!
Abortion has been legal in this country since 1973. TORTURE IS NOT LEGAL!!!
Just because I need money, doesn't mean I rob a bank.

[Motorinstructor]

Not all Conservatives are in favor of the death penalty and I am sure not all Liberals are in favor of abortion. If we all can agree that all life is sacred and that no one has the right to torture or murder then we can come together.

[godlessliberal]

Isn't he already the face of US torture? I know anytime I hear his voice or see his face I feel like I am being tortured.

[zest]

well said.

[Motorinstructor]

Sean Hannity sees waterboarding as a neccessary evil that will hopefully save many lives from the plots of terrorism upon our shores. My belief is that it is wrong to torture anyone, but I understand his logic, having watched his tv show for many years. The left has to stop being hippocritical on this subject, especially when it sanctions torture and murder in a mother's womb and it happens thousands of times a day in our country. We all have to be consistent when it comes to the subject of torture. We cannot pick and choose what is an acceptable torture when the fact is that all torture is wrong.

[ramblin jack]

So what is your point. Although I do not like abortion when are is a great numbers of Americans going to learn two wrongs do not make a right.

[WorkingClass]

Since we already have abortion we might as well have torture also? Torture doesn't save lives. Hannity is wrong.

[steppenwolfsayshi]

I'm totally in. We def need to demand an encore as well!

[billygore2000]

Hannity trivializes torture, but then all he does in trivialize.

[Paul]

Somehow I see a reality show coming out of all this....

Waterboarding with the Stars?

Tortured Idol?

Maybe every Republican will have a chance to be tortured on camera...

[STG 44]

If you want to see what most Americans think of as torture go to the ABC News website and find and download "Nightline" for 4/22/09. That is what is generally considered to be real torture. Waterboarding is more akin to fraternity hazing.

[magen]

Well if it's sooooooooooo not torture-----how is it effective in obtaining information?????

[STG 44]

The general idea is to provide the terrorist an intensely unpleasant experience that does not rise to the level of torture. Ever watch an old movie on late night T.V. where the big city detectives promise to give the criminal "Da toid degree" unless he cooperates?

[NCIndependant]

If it's not torture, why did we execute those Japanese who waterboarded Americans in WWII?

[rjmiller]

And yet we've executed Japanese soldiers for waterboarding American POWs in WWII and court-martialed American soldiers for waterboardings Philipino POWs. It was a warcrime then, but now it's not because it was authorized by the President/Cabinet?

I don't think so.

[apduncan1]

"Waterboarding is more akin to fraternity hazing."

If it were so, how come the USA executed Japanese soldiers convicted of waterboarding American soldiers in WW1?

[TRYKER]

Fraternity hazing shouldn't be allowed either. Bullying and hazing are just minor forms of torture and should be dealt with as crimes against our humanity.

[MajorKong]

Repeatedly drowning someone to within an inch of their life counts as "torture" in my book.

[CynAnne]

An excellent suggestion, Michael, and one I certainly would tune in for! The mental image of Hammity's round, reddened face turning ever more florid by the gasping, gurgling moment, as the minutes tick by on the timer..now, THAT'S entertainment..! ;) ...

[apduncan1]

183 times! No less.