Fox News' Bill O'Reilly grilled Sen. John McCain Thursday on whether it is his him or three former CIA directors who have it right on whether "enhanced interrogation techniques" provided useful intelligence.
O'Reilly told the Arizona Republican Thursday on "The O'Reilly Factor" he has personally spoken with the three former CIA directors, presumably George Tenet, Porter Goss and Michael Hayden, who wrote an
op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on the subject.
O'Reilly said the three told him they did get useful intelligence.
"Put yourself in the position of the viewer," O'Reilly told McCain. "They are hearing from the highest levels of the intel community they got worthy intelligence. Then we hear from sitting senators, no we didn't. It's impossible for the American people to know."
McCain is the only Republican in the Senate to publicly support the report written by Senate Democratic staffers. Democratic Sen. Mark Udall, who lost his seat to a Republican in November's midterms, said from the Senate floor "the CIA has lied to its overseers and the public."
McCain insisted the methods used, including waterboarding are different from circumstances that happen in the fog of war. He said Americans who shot surrendering Germans in World War II cannot be compared to CIA agents who took captured terrorist suspects and subjected them to planned enhanced interrogation.
"There's a huge difference between the heat of the battlefield … and you have to understand that, Bill. And I'm surprised you don't." McCain said.
"Wait a minute. I didn't say I don't. It's my job to interrogate you and ask the questions," O'Reilly responded.
The host noted that McCain has been consistent in his opposition to the methods, and pointed he "went through it" as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
"You're a patriot," O'Reilly said.
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