“asking hardened killers about their plans”

I guess the term “enhanced interrogation techniques” just isn’t enough of a euphemism for Charles Krauthamer. No, Krauthamer, in his column today, decides to leave the unpleasantness of sleep deprivation, waterboarding, stress positions, and other abusive techniques that the Bush Administration has authorized for use against prisoners in U.S. custody completely unstated. If Krauthamer is in fact accurately quoting President Bush when he uses this twisted phrasing on torture, his wishful Harry Truman/George W. Bush comparison falls down, too.

President Truman is said to have responded to a supporter yelling, “Give ’em Hell, Harry!” with, “I don’t give them Hell. I just tell the truth about them and they think it’s Hell.”

Calling torture and abuse “asking hardened killers about their plans” isn’t telling the truth about anything. Thank heavens we’ll have a chance for stronger leadership on this issue in January.