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Ashcroft Willing to Be Waterboarded

orbitcast.com

While speaking at the University of Colorado on Tuesday night, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft reaffirmed his belief in the Patriot Act and, when asked by an audience member if he’d submit to the controversial “interrogation” tactic of waterboarding, Ashcroft said he would.

Rocky Mountain News:

Ashcroft talked about the events that led to the Patriot Act. The day after 9/11, “the president said, ‘Do not let this happen again,’ ” Ashcroft said.

“Let’s look at the law and see what we can do that would help us. We need to think differently, think outside the box . . . never think outside the Constitution.”

When that comment was met with boos, Ashcroft responded: “Whooping and hollering in an auditorium will not get that done.”

Ashcroft said that the Patriot Act “makes perfect sense.”

This is the kind of thing that we have lived comfortably with in fighting organized crime and drug dealers. We hadn’t understood the need . . . to fight against terror.”

Ashcroft also responded to questions from the audience. The first question came from a woman who asked if Ashcroft would be willing to be subjected to waterboarding.

“The things that I can survive, if it were necessary to do them to me, I would do,” he said.

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TAGS: ashcroft colorado iraq patriot act sept. 11 torture waterboarding

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By cyrena, November 30, 2007 at 12:16 am #
(4172 comments total)

#116762 by Druthers on 11/29 at 1:37 am

“...If we accept this discussion about torture we enter the corridor that descends to that chamber."…

Druthers,

I agree with you 1000% about accepting this discussion, since we’ve already watched this occur.

The ONLY discussion about it should be (since the depraved need a reminder) is that it is never, ever, ever, acceptable, under any circumstances, for any living being.

We know however, that the current regime in Washington DC has been actively engaged in these crimes against humanity for at least 6 years now, and possibly longer than that.

THAT much discussion needs to continue, so that all can be aware of these crimes, if only so that no one is confused when we begin the necessary prosecutions at the Hague.

I’m not suggesting that we torture any of them, but they do all need to be made accountable for these crimes. So, we’ll just have a very civilized prosecution for them all.

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By PatrickHenry, November 29, 2007 at 6:06 pm #
(1114 comments total)

Sounds kind of masochistic to me.

I bet you could sell tickets to it. HBO maybe.

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By Outraged, November 29, 2007 at 11:08 am #
(869 comments total)

Put up or shut up, Ashcroft. Until you DO it, everyone knows you are only blowing smoke. Belly-up to the bar, Buddy......

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By anonymous, November 29, 2007 at 7:33 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

#116732 by Non Credo on 11/28 at 8:56 pm

makes a good point

let the Syrians do it

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By DarthMiffy, November 29, 2007 at 4:30 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

As a recent graduate of CU with an MA, this videotape is more meaningful to me than any plea for money to join the (football crazed) alumni association. Thanks for making me proud to be from UCB!

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By Steve, November 29, 2007 at 4:27 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

I think to get the full effect we should let an Iraqi Muslim do it.

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By Druthers, November 29, 2007 at 1:37 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

If it were not against my principles I’d be glad to “Waterboard” the former AG Ashcroft.

Ashcroft, too fragile to bear the sight of a statue’s breast, is now, from the depth of his God fearing universe, prepared to endorse torture. He reveals his naked self more than the statue that he saw not as a work of art but as a temptation.

However, some of us know what torture is and do not feel obliged to consult our “advisors” or just refrain from killing. I had friends tortured by the Gestapo. Torture is is the systematic degradation of a human being that turns the tortured into an object and the torturer into a depraved monster. If hell exists it is surely in the torture chamber, always hidden away in the dark bowels of infamous buildings.

If we accept this discussion about torture we enter the corridor that descends to that chamber.

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By Scott, November 28, 2007 at 11:36 pm #
(215 comments total)

A large part, perhaps the greatest part, of the suffering of a tortured person is the terror you feel when you are in the hands of people who mean to do you harm of unknown dimensions. You don’t know how far they will go; you don’t know when if ever they will stop. You often have no idea why they are doing it, or what they want from you.

Ironically enough, the Ashcroft’s of the world are likely the most terrified people of all.

That’s what makes them so dangerous.

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By vflog, November 28, 2007 at 10:57 pm #
(1 comments total)

Check out the video-flogging of former Attorney General John Ashcroft at CU Boulder on Tuesday night. Hear from the Colorado woman who actually asked Ashcroft that question. See what happened when she waited out back to take him up on his offer to be waterboarded.

In case you haven’t heard, a vflog is a political vlog (video-log) of a citizen verbally flogging an elected representative or public official. A vflog is the video version of a political blog.

http://www.vflog.com/
Bringing the 1st Amendment into the 21st Century

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By Non Credo, November 28, 2007 at 8:56 pm #
(1148 comments total)

These people who volunteer to be waterboarded, to see whether or not it’s really so bad, are missing at least half the point.

For example, one of the recognized and internationally banned methods of torture is repeatedly to take a prisoner out supposedly to be shot, and then arbitrarily cancel the execution.

There is no way to “volunteer” to be tortured in this manner, by people one knows to be enacting a simulation that will not go past a certain point.

Ashcroft will know that these people are trying not to kill him or do him any real injury. He will know that they are not going to do this to him every day for hours with no end in sight.

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By Lefty, November 28, 2007 at 8:14 pm #
(952 comments total)

I want to videotape it! I make millions! :^)

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By cyrena, November 28, 2007 at 6:57 pm #
(4172 comments total)

Purplewolf, I love it. You’re right of course. No need to think outside the Constitution if you just burn it, and use the ashes for toilet paper.

Meantime, here’s my first question for Ashcroft when the waterboarding/interrogation team sets up…

Mr. Ashcroft, Why did you switch to personally handpicked sky limos over regular commericial or government air transportation in the weeks leading up to 9/11? Were you worried about something?

Next question,

Why was the Patriot Act (all several jillion pages of it), ready to publish and make into law within days after 9/11? Was there some sort of indication that we were gonna need such a thing?

Just curious…

OK...I didn’t like those answers, resume the waterboading, and bring in some dogs too.

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By QuyTran, November 28, 2007 at 5:19 pm #
(843 comments total)

Never think outside the constitution ?

Just act ABOVE THE CONSTITUTION OR SIT ON IT THEN....
DOWN !

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By KenDen, November 28, 2007 at 5:11 pm #
(23 comments total)

So how do we set this test up for John? Let’s do it and see what happens. And can the waterboarding be televised?

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By troublesum, November 28, 2007 at 5:00 pm #
(316 comments total)

“To live by the sword is to die by the sword.” Ashcroft, Bush, Cheney and the gang think that torture is something that only happens to bad people, not to good people like them. The width of a hair separates heaven and hell.

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By purplewolf, November 28, 2007 at 4:54 pm #
(567 comments total)

NEVER THINK OUTSIDE THE CONSTITUTION?

NO, LET’S JUST DESTROY IT TOTALLY, NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT GOING AGAINST SOMETHING THAT NO LONGER EXISTS NOW IS THERE.

LET’S SEE HOW LONG THIS CRETIN CAN LAST BEING WATERBOARDED. OF COURSE RESTRAIN HIM, TOTALLY IMMERSE HIS HEAD UNDER WATER AND THEN JUST WALK AWAY AND FORGET TO COME BACK. AFTER ALL THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO CLAIM THIS IS NOT TORTURE RIGHT?

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By lawlessone, November 28, 2007 at 4:45 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Someone please please take him up on it. Be sure to do it on CNN so the Republicans can watch. And, as long as we are doing such a test, let’s ask him some questions about what information he might like to share on things like redacting, spying on Americans without warrants, etc.

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By thomas billis, November 28, 2007 at 4:38 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

What a way to raise money for charity.At a dollar an entry it would raise millions.Enter now to be the one who waterboards Ashcroft.Then you could have another contest for the top ten questions Ashcroft would have to answer while being waterboarded.Millions more for charity.Another contest for how long it would take him to confess to the Lindbergh Kidnapping.It is just win win win.

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