Radio Clown Mark Levin Angry With McCain Over Anti-Torture Legislation

[JABBS]

Mark Levin, the conservative talk radio host, normally devotes himself to blasting liberals.

But not this week. The radio clown has found something far worse this week. Instead of targeting Hillary Clinton, John Kerry or Nancy Pelosi, Levin has targeted Sen. John McCain -- with a steady flow of pre-screened callers agreeing with him.

Why? Because McCain had the gall to legislate a formal ban on the cruel or inhumane treatment of detainees in U.S. custody anywhere in the world. After resisting the measure for months, and at one point vowing to veto a Defense Department appropriations bill to get his way, President Bush this week flip-flopped, relenting to bipartisan support for McCain's bill.

The White House had argued that existing rules banning torture did not necessarily apply in cases involving foreign suspects being questioned by U.S. operatives on foreign soil. The McCain bill closes that loophole by saying such restrictions apply "regardless of nationality or physical location."

***

Levin is so angry with McCain that he vowed on yesterday's edition of his syndicated show to do anything in his power to prevent the Arizona Republican from receiving his party's 2008 presidential nomination. On tonight's show, he said he would rather vote for his dogs than McCain.

Callers have been equal to Levin's "angry right" shtick. One caller suggested McCain was a "Manchurian Candidate" who had been brainwashed against torture during his five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Levin didn't argue against the caller, who (perhaps inadvertently) referenced part of a whisper campaign used by the Bush campaign in 2000 to sway South Carolina voters against McCain.

Levin argued that McCain -- who remains popular among independents and fans of such shows as CBS' Late Show With David Letterman and Comedy Central's Daily Show With Jon Stewart -- had gotten soft because of his exposure to liberals. The way the radio clown explained it, you would think liberalism was contagious.

***

So why are conservatives like Levin so angry about this legislation?

The White House argued that the legislation was unnecessary because of existing laws banning torture. Last month, CIA Chief Porter Goss said: "This agency does not do torture. Torture does not work." Bush himself insisted last month: "We do not torture." Fox News Channel anchor Brit Hume, serving in his normal capacity as conservative apologist, argued earlier this week that the much criticized practice of "waterboarding" -- the act of pouring water over a prisoner to make him think he is about to drown -- does not constitute torture.

In other words, either the U.S. isn't practicing torture, or it is desperately trying to spin that idea on anyone who will listen, most notably McCain.

In October, Goss and Vice President Cheney each fought to have the CIA exempted from the legislation, so as to give the president "maximum flexibility" as he fights a "global war on terror."

McCain said no.

Levin and his callers won't soon forget.

***

This item first appeared at Journalists Against Bush's B.S.

[tanyev]

1. Oh, dear. A Republican civil war.

I'll just run to the kitchen and get an onion so I can shed a few tears. :P

[Cleita]

2. LOL

I had to pinch myself a few times so that it hurt enough to cry a little.

[shenmue]

3. What an idiot

Who the hell is pro-torture?

That's a sick bastard. And he's against McCain, of all people, who was a POW.

Ugh!

:grr:

:thumbsdown:

:puke:

Just another RW dumbass full of hot air on the radio.

[JABBS]

4. you'd be surprised

Check out this link regarding conservative "media" pro-torture stance.

[salinen]

5. Mark Levin

inspires me. I am going to carve a voodoo doll with his image
and throw it in the next porta potty I see.

[libodem]

6. Most of those talk show hosts are very cruel toward McCain

They hate anything 'moderate' and often say if it's not extremist beliefs that are held they have no sense of true values. And this is what gets to me; any belief that is a little left of center is "kook fringe" and considered just plain crazy while they allow themselves to proclaim that they are extremist right wing fascists and that is perfectly mainstream in their eyes. That's why I say don't pussyfoot around with them, they don't play fair and they don't think fair. Lieberman and Hillary will never be conservative enough for them so why should the DLC even exist? I think we should continue to pull as far left as we can just to restore some semblance of balance. I hate what the far right stands for which is corporate control of the government which equals fascism. I try to listen to both sides so I won't be what I accuse them of being. Maybe a Lieberman/Hillary or Hillary/McCain or McCain /Lieberman ticket could reunite this torn partisan country. Not that I care much for any of them because I think we need to move toward the 'left'. (See what it's like to live in my head) poor me

[SPKrazy]

7. Why listen to a whiney little shit like that?

He's worse than Hannity!

[JABBS]

10. keep your friends close

and your enemies closer. If you don't listen to this crap occasionally, you are unprepared when election time rolls around.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

8. levin is a sad little man

who feels compelled to beg everyone to refer to him as 'the great one' in order to make himself feel better and get over the taunting he recieved during pubertry when his nasally, whiny voice kicked in, instead of the deep manly baritone he dreamed of.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. All I know

is that these people are sick freaks who like torture. Maybe they should try living through it.

[Catch22Dem]

11. I disagree w/ him most of the time, but I'll take McCain's word...

when it comes to the benefits of torture. McCain knows the info you get through torture is almost always bullshit. The victim just want you to stop doing whatever sick shit you're doing to him, so he'll say ANYTHING.

I don't even really care for McCain, but the shit these coward fucking repukes heap on him is absolutely disgusting.

[Al-CIAda]

12. Limbaugh was blasting McCain as well.

He called it the 'Al Queda Bill of Rights'.

Those nutty fascists.

[JABBS]

13. see above link

Gibson and O'Reilly also were supporting the CIA exemption.

[Justice Is Comin]

14. Morph us into a war with somebody who has nuclear weapons

instead of rocks and sticks for defense and when they capture 200 of our guys, see how you like the pro torture laws then.