How The “Wateboarding Works” Myth Began

Former CIA officer John Kiriakou appeared on ABC News on December 10, 2007 saying that waterboarding is torture, and that it works.  He claimed that suspected terrorist Abu Zubaydah began to cooperate after being waterboarded for “probably 30, 35 seconds. From that day forward he answered every question.”  But newly declassified information reveals Zubayda (pictured below) was waterboarded “at least 83 times.”

During the heated debate in 2007 over the use of waterboarding and other techniques, Mr. Kiriakou’s comments quickly ricocheted around the media. But lost in much of the coverage was the fact that Mr. Kiriakou had no firsthand …

Conservatives More Likely To Take Colbert Seriously

An Ohio State University study reveals that many conservatives don’t understand that The Colbert Report is satire.

This study investigated biased message processing of political satire in The Colbert Report and the influence of political ideology on perceptions of Stephen Colbert. Results indicate that political ideology influences biased processing of ambiguous political messages and source in late-night comedy.

Additionally, there was no significant difference between the groups in thinking Colbert was funny, but conservatives were more likely to report that Colbert only pretends to be joking and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely …

On Monday’s Radio Show…

• Could a little foresight in Washington have limited the swine-flu threat? Alan analyzes what mistakes were made.

• The first 100 days… of President McCain? Walter Shapiro of PoliticsDaily.com imagines what might have happened had Republicans won the election.

• Should a federal judge who wrote torture memos lose his job? We’ll debate it.…

Why Wasn’t The Public Warned?

Hundreds of people jammed emergency phone lines and thousands of terrified people evacuated buildings in New York and New Jersey as low-flying military planes conducted a photo-op.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” said Eunice Davis, 41, of Brooklyn, who was evacuated from the New York Mercantile Exchange. “Some planes were circling the building. I was afraid. I was here when the World Trade Center went down.”

“We thought we were under attack again,” added a shaken Wall Street worker, who declined to give his name.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg was furious that some “dumb” city worker didn’t …

Miss California: Being Gay Is “Behavior That Develops Over Time”

h/t Americablog

Carrie Prejean, the Miss USA runner-up who caused a stir when she spoke out against gay marriage, spoke with Rex Wockner at the Sanctuary of the Rock Church in San Diego over the weekend.

Rex: And, I guess, last question: What would be so wrong with two women who love each other getting married?

Carrie: What would be so wrong with two women that love each other?

Rex: What would be so wrong with that? Yeah.

Carrie: What don’t you see wrong with that?

Rex: I don’t see anything …

Republicans Ridiculed Pendemic Preparedness As Part Of Stimulus Bill

Wisconsin Democrat David Obey, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, argued that if a pandemic hit in the middle of a recession, it could have far-reaching consequences.

…with workers ordered to remain in their homes, workplaces shuttered to avoid the spread of disease, transportation systems grinding to a halt and demand for emergency services and public health interventions skyrocketing. Indeed, they suggested, pandemic preparation was essential to any responsible plan for renewing the U.S. economy.

But Obey and Democrats who supported this idea were mocked by Republicans who saw only more spending, and not the link between an …

John Podesta Says Impeach Bybee

John Podesta, who heads the Center for American Progress, and who ran President Obama’s transition team, says the federal judge who wrote torture memos, Jay Bybee, should be impeached.

In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers (D-Mich.), Podesta says that since he has “issued opinions that violate the Constitution and concealed relevant aspects of his legal views and professional conduct from the Senate, Bybee has neither the legal nor moral authority to sit in judgment of others.”

John Conyers, without mentioning names, warned last week, “We’re coming after these guys.”  Bybee was the Assistant …

Jimmy’s Got A Gun

Jimmy Carter lists the guns he owns and why he likes them in Mondays New York Times.

I have used weapons since I was big enough to carry one, and now own two handguns, four shotguns and three rifles, two with scopes. I use them carefully, for hunting game from our family woods and fields, and occasionally for hunting with my family and friends in other places. We cherish the right to own a gun and some of my hunting companions like to collect rare weapons. One of them is a superb craftsman who makes muzzle-loading rifles, one of …

Dalai Lama On Bush 43: “I Love Him, But Some Of His Policies…”

The Dalai Lama showed up at a San Francisco homeless shelter to dish out pesto pasta and wisdom.

“I’m really happy for the opportunity to visit,” he said, offering words of encouragement to the approximately 100 guests and volunteers at the Sunday lunch.

“Our lives depend on others,” said the Dalai Lama. “Me too. My life depends on others. You are still in human society, human community. Please feel happy and feel dignity.”

The head of Tibet’s government in exile said he had much in common with his lunch mates.  “You know,” he offered as a way of …

Ahmadinejad Says No Talks Without A Framework, Obama Didn’t Answer Message

George Stephanopoulos landed an interview in Iran with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who said he wants a framework in place before talks with the US.

The Iranian president also said he wrote a message to President Obama congratulating him, but has not yet received a response.

…

Palin Attacks Obama For Not Being Bipartisan

You don’t have to be a former vice president to go after a new president.  Even if you didn’t obtain the job, you can still find a way to criticize.  In Sunday’s New York Post article, “100 Days, 100 Mistakes,” (that New York Post, always finding an angle on a story), Sarah Palin refers to the president as “insincere” and says he should spend his second 100 days “making up for the serious snubs of his first.”

The new president wasted no time rushing forward with policies and legislation guaranteed to drive Republicans nuts.

Actually, what drives …