Frist Predicts Deal on Anti-Torture Ban

“I think there will be clarification of what we mean. How aggressive can one be to get information — not torture, but, you know, what does degrading mean?” [said Frist.]

I would say “degrading” falls somewhere between forcing a prisoner to eat his own feces, and forcing him to appear on Last Call with Carson Daly.

If faced with such a choice, I think most self-respecting terrorists would crumble instantly, begging for mercy.

“By the grace of Allah, please don’t make me appear on TV with that dolt! Get me a case of bran muffins and a big spoon. I’ll tell you anything you want.”

Graham, R-S.C., said the U.S. policy on interrogating detainees “has been confusing, misleading, and our own troops have suffered because they don’t know what’s in bounds and what’s not.”

If you’re an interrogator wanting to know if a particular method of coercion is “degrading,” a good rule of thumb would be to ask yourself: “Is this the sort of thing I’d see someone doing on a reality show for a million dollars?”

If so … Yeah, it’s degrading.