Sort of odd, The Hound thinks, that Congressman Mark Kirk has endorsed Arizona Sen. John McCain for president, but voted against banning waterboarding by U.S. intelligence agencies. McCain believes torture and prisoner abuse "are not American tools, and the easy way is not the American way."
By the way, McCain should know about torture. He spent most of the Vietnam War in prisoner of war camps where he was a victim of torture, despite the Geneva Conventions banning such methods.
Kirk, the Highland Park Republican, and a member of the Naval Reserve, which last time The Hound checked, also is opposed to torture seeing that the U.S. is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions which address abuse and treatment of prisoners.
To most, this is a moral dilemma. Should Americans permit the torture of an enemy who might have information that could save our fellow citizens? There are two schools of thought: One is that people will say anything under torture. The other is: Put the screws to the SOB --- they deserve it.
The Army, though, adopted rules last year that forbids waterboarding, sexual humiliation, mock executions, witholding food and medical care. Kirk, however, opposed adding those rules to our intelligence agencies and President Bush announced he would veto the bill if it went to the Oval Office.
If the congressman flies on any more intelligence missions, he better hope the mission doesn't end in going down over enemy territory. He might be on the other side of the issue, as once was Sen. McCain.
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