TigerHawk

TigerHawk (ti*ger*hawk): n. 1. The title of this blog and the nom de plume of its founding blogger; 2. A deep bow to the Princeton Tigers and the Iowa Hawkeyes; 3. The nickname for Iowa's Hawkeye logo. Posts include thoughts of the day on international affairs, politics, things that strike us as hilarious and personal observations. The opinions we express are our own, and not those of each other, our employers, our relatives, our dead ancestors, or unrelated people of similar ethnicity.

Friday, January 07, 2005

Taranto "water boards" Ted Kennedy

By TigerHawk at 1/07/2005 08:17:00 PM

James Taranto just hammered Ted Kennedy today for the latter's examination of Alberto Gonzales. Taranto records Kennedy's question, if you can call it that:

Well, just as an attorney, as a human being, I would have thought that if there were recommendations that were so blatantly and flagrantly over the line in terms of torture, that you might have recognized them. I mean, it certainly appears to me that water boarding, with all its descriptions about drowning someone to that kind of a point, would come awfully close to getting over the border, and that you'd be able to at least say today, "There were some that were recommended or suggested on that, but I certainly wouldn't have had a part of that, as a human being."

I am embarrassed -- no, ashamed -- that I was so entertained by Taranto's cruel following comment:

A Wall Street Journal editorial yesterday described the interrogation technique of "water boarding": "It involves strapping a detainee down, wrapping his face in a wet towel and dripping water on it to produce the sensation of drowning." Apparently it is frightening but harmless. It might be worthwhile for the Senate to call a witness who has experience with actual drowning to comment on the difference. Where's Mary Jo Kopechne when you need her?

Ouch.

UPDATE: Patton had beaten Taranto to the punch, and I had seen it and blown the hat tip because I couldn't remember where I'd seen it. Apologies to Patton.

Of course, now I am forced to admit my embarrassment and shame at laughing at this joke twice.

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3 Comments:

By TigerHawk, at Sat Jan 08, 06:54:00 AM:

Got it. And I actually saw your post first, so up goes a link. When I read Taranto, I had the feeling that I'd read the same point elsewhere else, but I couldn't remember where. Thanks.

By Fausta, at Sat Jan 08, 09:20:00 AM:

Me, I wasn't ashamed.

By TigerHawk, at Sat Jan 08, 09:25:00 AM:

You've always had more brass than me, Fausta!;)