The US has executed Japanese prisoners of war for waterboading:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-begala/yes-inational-reviewi-we_b_191153.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110201170.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding - check out the refs for extensive discussion on the subject.

If you agree with our troops and intelligence services torturing people, then you can't really condemn any torture past or present (including that of our own service people and civilians), to do so would be rank hypocrisy. At least have the guts to stand up and say you agree with torture, don't agree with the Declaration of Human Rights and the Geneva Convention and that's that. Be manly about it for crying out loud, don't try to hide behind semantics and mealy-mouthed but essentially worthless definitions.

"It's amazing to me that the drubbing liberals took in the recent election does mean anything to them"

Shock news! Not everyone lives in the United States! Time to expand from a rather parochial viewpoint and see the actions of your government in a wider context. Perhaps take on board the views of those living in the rest of the world also have some legitimacy.