McCain Is A Hypocrite On Torture

Dear God. Matthews is about to feel major tingling in every appendage --- John McCain is his guest for the whole hour.

Feel the magic.

Here we go:

Matthews: You also disagree with him [Bush] on torture.

McCain: Absolutely. And could I take a few seconds on that? because I think it's important and I think it's what America is all about and what kind of country we are. We should never, ever torture anyone who is in the custody of the United States of America because (applause) because the struggle we're in with radical Islamic fundamentalism which is going to be with us for decades, and that is that it's a military,diplomatic, intelligence and ideological struggle. If we're not any better than our enemies, then doesn't it make it harder for young people to choose.

I was in Bagdad in Thanksgiving of last year. I met with a high ranking, former high ranking member of al Qaeda*. I asked him, "how did you do so well after the initial military success of the Americans and the coalition forces had. He said two thing: on was the lawlessness that took place after the Americans and their allies won the military victory. But he said the second was Abu Ghraib. He said Abu Ghraib was my greatest recruiting tool. Everybody here knows what Abu Ghraib was. So my point is that for the future of this country, we have to make sure that we remain a nation that does not do things that our enemies do.

And I promise you, my friends, that I'll close Guantanamo Bay and we will never torture another person in our custody again. (wild applause)

I'll make my further answers shorter, but that's a very important question about what kind of a country we are and what kind of country we've been and what kind of a country we'll be for the 21st century.

Matthews: (dreamy sigh...) I want to get back to what kind of a vision you have for your presidency...