John McCain to Bush apologists: Stop lying about Bin Laden and torture

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/john-mccain-to-bush-apologists-stop-lying-about-bin-laden-and-torture/2011/03/03/AF10AnzG_blog.html>
Posted at 12:09 PM ET, 05/12/2011
John McCain to Bush apologists: Stop lying about Bin Laden and torture
By Greg Sargent
"This is getting really good. As noted below, John McCain in an Op ed this morning skewered the claim that the killing of Bin Laden vindicates torture. But just now, on the Senate floor, he uncorked a new broadside that is quite remarkable, taking direct aim at Bush apologists who are reviving this debate in order to claim Bin Laden’s death as part of the Bush legacy.

McCain amplified his case, and called on former Bush attorney general Michael Mukasey — whose recent op ed claiming torture led to Bin Laden has been widely cited by the right — to retract his claims. McCain’s speech is worth quoting at length:

“With so much misinformation being fed into such an essential public debate as this one, I asked the Director of Central Intelligence, Leon Panetta, for the facts. And I received the following information:

“The trail to bin Laden did not begin with a disclosure from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was waterboarded 183 times. We did not first learn from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed the real name of bin Laden’s courier, or his alias, Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti — the man who ultimately enabled us to find bin Laden. The first mention of the name Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, as well as a description of him as an important member of Al-Qaeda, came from a detainee held in another country. The United States did not conduct this detainee’s interrogation, nor did we render him to that country for the purpose of interrogation. We did not learn Abu Ahmed’s real name or alias as a result of waterboarding or any ‘enhanced interrogation technique’ used on a detainee in U.S. custody. None of the three detainees who were waterboarded provided Abu Ahmed’s real name, his whereabouts, or an accurate description of his role in Al-Qaeda."

It's beautiful. John McCain finally got his ***** back. I have not posted on DU in years but I couldn't resist this one, please excuse me if someone else has already posted it.

Americans know Republicons are torture freaks, and that torture is morally and legally wrong.

Republicons have shit the ethics bed -- once again -- with their evil fetish for torture, and their lame attempt to defend it.

:toast:

because he saw enough dead bodies in his life and he has no questions about whether Osama was really killed.

hopefully this is the mccain we start seeing more of again.

The Pubbies have been really mean to him; BushCo was especially cruel. Time to stand up for what's right and stop carrying water for those who DON'T have your back!

Unlike you; I stayed, and just reduced the quality of my posts, not the quantity .... you know, to spread the 'good and smart' parts around, like cereal in taco meat ! .....

I've been lurking a long time and maybe post once a year or so . . .

With a Democrat in office there didn't seem to be so much to worry about to me . . . Even if I am not always thrilled with Obama he is a thousand times better than the * before him. Or maybe my expectations got to be so low after * that anyone would have made me happy.

Then something like this happens -- he finally nails Bin Laden -- and the repugs are all over it wanting to take credit -- for TORTURE! Egads it was like 2004 all over again for me.

I could hardly stand it. Now McCain has remembered where he left his ba**s and I had to post the video! I don't even care if anyone reads it, I am so pleased about the turn of events in the last few weeks!

I could only be happier if Obama had found a way to legally assassinate * himself.