The Torture Debate Continues…

Lots of credit to John McCain who eloquently articulated his objection to torture in a testy exchange with Mitt Romney at the recent presidential debate.

Romney’s ambivalence on this issue is disturbing, and we can only imagine the kind of administration that he would lead. As Steve Benen points out, Romney’s top counterterrorism advisor is Cofer Black, the man at the CIA responsible for setting up the chain of “secret prisons” in Eastern Europe. Black famously told Congress that “there was a before 9/11, and there was an after 9/11. After 9/11, the gloves come off.” Oh, and in case that’s not enough to frighten you, Black’s also vicechairman of Blackwater USA. Can you imagine what it would be like if he were directing counterterrorism policy at the White House?