I appeared on CNN this weekend to debate right-wing gasbag Chris Plante about the ongoing debate over torture, Gitmo, detainees and President Obama's effort to curtail the Bush administration's most egregious legal transgressions. You can watch the debate here - it's about the most heated television debate I've ever taken part in.
As you'll see, Plante forwards former Vice President Dick Cheney's most tired, most discredited lies about torture supposedly saving "thousands of lives" - and when confronted with hard reporting exposing Cheney's dishonesty, Plante pulls the attack the messenger routine, saying you basically can't believe anything you read in any newspaper.
The facts, of course, speak for themselves - CIA officials have acknowledged that there is no verifiable evidence that torture stopped any terrorist attacks, or produced "actionable" intelligence, and certainly no evidence that torture tactics produced anything better or more valuable than legal methods of interrogation.
But Plante - and the right wing - aren't interested in facts. They are interested in demagoguery that aims to tap into the Jack Bauer Theory of National Security - ie. the idea that it's AOK to break laws because doing so will save the United States from certain peril. Suddenly, "law and order" Republicans don't care about law and order.
After Plante repeats his talking points for the third time, I kinda went off. I'm not sure I should have gotten so in his face, but frankly, I'm sick and tired of right-wing No Talent Ass Clowns using the media to push their dishonest hyper-nationalist bullshit that seeks to portray lawbreaking as strong and patriotic, and respect for the law as somehow weak and traitorous. Sometimes it's important to simply call them out and take it to them - and that's what I tried to do.
Watch the clip here - I think you will find it entertaining.
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