Stephen Colbert announced at the start of a segment on waterboarding that he was determined to begin with something "uplifting and cheerful," which he provided in the form of video of an adorable new-born giraffe in a British zoo.
Colbert then turned directly to "another cheerful story," reporting that "Attorney General Michael Mukasey was called before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week to answer questions as to whether waterboarding is torture."
Drawing a comparison between the picture of the baby giraffe being fed from a bottle and familiar images of waterboarding, Colbert suggested, "Just switch out the giraffe's head for a terrorist's, stuff a rag in his mouth, and put the bottle up his nose. Suddenly waterboarding seems kind of adorable."
Mukasey's initial response to the Judiciary Committee's question about waterboarding was "I do not think it would be responsible for me as Attorney General to provide an answer."
"Would waterboarding be torture if it was done to you?" Sen. Ted Kennedy asked him.
"I would feel that it was," Mukasey agreed.
"For everyone out there who has to have a definition, there it is," proclaimed Colbert. "Waterboarding is torture when it's done to Michael Mukasey. When it's done to everyone else, it is irresponsible to provide an answer."
Mukasey also promised the Judiciary Committee that the CIA had stopped waterboarding and would not start again without informing them. Colbert commented approvingly on this promise, saying, "I mean, the CIA has a long and proud history of informing Congress of its activities."
(Diane Sweet contributed to this story.)
The following video is from Comedy Central's Colbert Report, broadcast on Feb. 05, 2008.