Ventura says 'torture' practices make him ashamed

Star Tribune

Last update: May 18, 2009 - 9:52 PM

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Continuing his book promotion media tour, former Gov. Jesse Ventura on Monday resumed his blunt criticism of the Bush administration's interrogation policies and took another shot at Norm Coleman.

Appearing on ABC's "The View" talk show, Ventura called waterboarding suspected terrorists "torture."

"If this country follows the rule of law -- which we do -- torture is against the law," he said, adding, "I'm ashamed of my country."

Ventura's appearance followed a similar one last week on CNN's "Larry King Live" program. Along with offering sound bites, he is promoting the paperback publication of his most recent book.

He spent most of Monday's appearance weighing in on the political debate over torture, saying he's qualified to speak on the topic because he was waterboarded himself during his Navy SEAL training in the 1970s.

"If waterboarding is OK, why can't we let our police do it?" he demanded. "It only seems we waterboard Muslims."

If Ventura were president, something he has rhetorically toyed with for years, he said, "I'd prosecute those who did it, prosecute those who ordered it, and they'd all go to jail."

He was less harsh about Minnesota's still-unresolved Senate race than he was last week when he called Coleman "a hypocrite."

"It appears [Al] Franken won,'' he said, contending that when the state Supreme Court rules on the election results, "it should end there."

BOB VON STERNBERG

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