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Let's have some Republican senators try waterboarding

By Michael Tomasky

Back down to our usual level: John Chait at TNR made a nice catch here in relaying the story of how Eric "Mancow" Muller, an obnoxious right-wing radio gas bag, decided to get himself waterboarded to prove he could take it and it wasn't torture. So what ensued? Only this:

"The average person can take this for 14 seconds," Marine Sergeant Clay South answered, adding, "He's going to wiggle, he's going to scream, he's going to wish he never did this."
With a Chicago Fire Department paramedic on hand, Mancow was placed on a 7-foot long table, his legs were elevated, and his feet were tied up.
Turns out the stunt wasn't so funny. Witnesses said Muller thrashed on the table, and even instantly threw the toy cow he was holding as his emergency tool to signify when he wanted the experiment to stop. He only lasted 6 or 7 seconds.
"It is way worse than I thought it would be, and that's no joke,"Mancow said, likening it to a time when he nearly drowned as a child. "It is such an odd feeling to have water poured down your nose with your head back...It was instantaneous...and I don't want to say this: absolutely torture."

Barack Obama shakes hands with Hugo Chavez

US President has shaken hands with Venezuela's President, a bitter foe of the former Washington administration.

After several days of the US and Cuba trading warm words that have hinted at a détente after a half century of hostility, Mr Obama said that he was seeking "a new beginning" with Havana.

Asked what he had said to Mr Chavez, Mr Obama replied with a smile: "I said como estas" (How are you).

 

Dead Mayor wins re-election

Harry Stonebraker on Tuesday was re-elected mayor of the eastern Missouri town of Winfield — about a month after his death.

Ballots had already been printed and absentee voting had already begun when Stonebraker died March 11 of a heart attack at age 69. He won easily Tuesday with 206 votes, or 90%. Alderman Bernie Panther got the other 23 votes.

Lincoln County Clerk Elaine Luck said Stonebraker was a popular mayor who helped lead the town of 1,500 through a devastating 2008 flood.

If US elections were decided by area Republicans would rule for ever

Good news for a change…

Democratic and Republican members of Congress will tomorrow join forces in support of a bill to end the decades-old ban on Americans travelling to Cuba, a move that could mark the beginning of a thaw in Washington-Havana relations.

Two of the sponsors of the bill, the Democrat member of the House from Massachusetts, Bill Delahunt, and Jeff Flake, a Republican House member from Arizona, will introduce it at a press conference on Capitol Hill tomorrow. The bill is co-sponsored by 118 other House members.

more here

Song from Mort

Paul Krugman joined The New York Times in 1999 as a columnist on the Op-Ed Page and continues as professor of Economics and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Nowruz – New Year to you

see the Obama video to the People of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Brilliant – Obama with Leno

Brown goes to Washington

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Brown in the USA

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