Jesse Ventura vs. Dick Cheney
The wrestler-turned-governor attacks Cheney on torture, and offers to demonstrate waterboarding
Ex-Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura “poured cold water” on Dick Cheney’s contention that waterboarding isn’t torture, said Satyam Khanna in Think Progress. On CNN’s Larry King Live, Ventura—a former Navy SEAL who, unlike Cheney, has been waterboarded—said the technique is torture, and it doesn't work. “Give me a water board, Dick Cheney, and one hour," Ventura said, "and I’ll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders.” (watch Ventura discuss waterboarding)
Cheney may make an easy target, said Michael Goldfarb in The Weekly Standard, but even with his “18 percent approval rating,” he has 60 percent of the country on his side regarding torture. Liberals are losing the PR war to Cheney and his allies, and they’re starting to notice. Have they considered that maybe Cheney is “winning because he’s right”?
Ventura’s “definitely one of our most outspoken political figures,” said Akela Talamasca in Manolith, but you can’t call him a liberal. And yes, he has “somewhat unkempt” hair, and he’s promoting a new book, but Ventura says what he genuinely thinks, and his unpredictable thoughts are as interesting as his crazy life story.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 exclusive cartoons about Trump and Putin negotiating peace
Cartoons Artists take on alternative timelines, missing participants, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The AI arms race
Talking Point The fixation on AI-powered economic growth risks drowning out concerns around the technology which have yet to be resolved
By The Week UK Published
-
Why Jannik Sinner's ban has divided the tennis world
In the Spotlight The timing of the suspension handed down to the world's best male tennis player has been met with scepticism
By The Week UK Published