But at yesterday’s Daily News editorial board meeting, it emerged that she’s [Hillary] not actually against torture in all instances, and that her dispute with McCain and Bush is largely procedural.
She was asked about the “ticking time bomb” scenario, in which you’ve captured the terrorist and don’t have time for a normal interrogation, and said that there is a place for what she called “severity,” in a conversation that included mentioning waterboarding, hypothermia, and other techniques commonly described as torture.
“I have said that those are very rare but if they occur there has to be some lawful authority for pursuing that,” she responded. “Again, I think the President has to take responsibilty. There has to be some check and balance, some reporting. I don’t mind if it’s reporting in a top secret context. But that shouldn’t be the tail that wags the dog, that should be the exception to the rule.”
I hate to say it, but I think that just put Hillary a notch above John McCain in my list of who I’d support for President in 2008.
Well, maybe not, but still it’s heartening to hear a Democrat talk this way. It’s much better than the silly rhetoric on “torture” we get from most Democrats.