Fox News analyst says torture 'worked' on John McCain: 'That's why they call him Songbird John'

[babylonsister]

Fox News analyst says torture ‘worked’ on John McCain: ‘That’s why they call him Songbird John’
Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney has a history of making wild, offensive comments.
Melanie Schmitz
May 10, 2018, 3:29 pm


Fox News military analyst Thomas McInerney on Thursday claimed that so-called “enhanced interrogation” methods were effective and said that torture had “worked” on Arizona Sen. John McCain (R), a former Navy pilot and prisoner of war.

McInerney was pushing back against critics of acting CIA Director Gina Haspel, a veteran of the intelligence community and President Trump’s pick to lead the agency. Haspel has been opposed by Democrats and some Republicans who believe her time overseeing a CIA black site prison in Thailand after 9/11, where detainees were subjected to brutal torture methods, as well as her role in a CIA effort to destroy nearly 100 videotaped recordings of those interrogation sessions, disqualifies her from the role.

McCain specifically has come out strong against Haspel’s nomination, issuing a statement Wednesday night, following Haspel’s earlier Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, in which he urged his colleagues to do the same.

“I believe Gina Haspel is a patriot who loves our country and has devoted her professional life to its service and defense,” McCain wrote. “However, Ms. Haspel’s role in overseeing the use of torture by Americans is disturbing. Her refusal to acknowledge torture’s immorality is disqualifying. I believe the Senate should exercise its duty of advice and consent and reject this nomination.”

On Thursday morning, speaking with Fox Business host Charles Payne, McInerney fired back.

“The fact is, is John McCain — [torture] worked on John — that’s why they call him ‘Songbird John,'” he said, in a segment on Varney & Company, first unearthed by Media Matters. “The fact is those methods can work, and they are effective, as former Vice President Cheney said. And if we have to use them to save a million American lives, we will do whatever we have to.”

Payne later apologized for McInerney’s comments. “This morning on a show I was hosting, a guest made a very false and derogatory remark about Senator John McCain,” he tweeted. “…I regret I did not catch this remark, as it should have been challenged. As a proud military veteran and son of a Vietnam Vet these words neither reflect my or the network’s feelings about Senator McCain, or his remarkable service and sacrifice to this country.”

more...

https://thinkprogress.org/fox-news-torture-worked-on-john-mccain-327504f89435/

[nolabear]

1. I hope the McCain family sues the pants off him.

[Lulu KC]

2. OMG n/t

[cynatnite]

3. It's days like this I wonder why the hell he's a repub...

The whisper campaign about him as a POW and his daughter when he ran against bush in the primaries was just horrible. It still makes me nauseous when I think about it.

I've had my issues with McCain, but his service to this country is above reproach as far as I'm concerned. Not to mention the despicable treatment of his daughter, Bridget.

[dalton99a]

10. +1. No one should ever question McCain's loyalty to his country.

[Docreed2003]

4. Wonder if these sick fucks would feel the same way

If one of our servicemembers today was tortured under camera or worse? Is it still cool then, or is that just the act of a barbaric enemy?

[Xipe Totec]

5. So effective that they applied it to the same individual 83 times and learned nothing new

Nothing they hadn't learned from the same person before they tortured him.

All the interrogator had to do was call him by his childhood nickname, given him by his mother, and he told him everything they wanted to know.

Then they tortured him.

83 times.

And learned nothing new.

That's why they had to burn the tapes.

83 tapes of the same guy being tortured, over and over, and no new information.

[90-percent]

6. News to me

I didn't know they called McCain "Songbird John" until today, when I saw coverage of this loathsome propagandist on FB.

I hope this guys public career goes down in flames after this, because, at long last, this guy HAS NO BASIC SENSE OF DECENCY.

-90% Jimmy

[HoosierDebbie]

7. Cheesnrice! There is no depth these despicable people won't go.

They spew filth, nearly throwing spittle with it. Almost Exorcist style. Disgusting.

[Corgigal]

8. They say everyone

has a price. Fox News knows retired Air Force Lt. Gen number.

They don't have mine, this Air Force female veteran would like to apologize to McCains family. This is not the time to act like this. It's disgusting.