Who is Ricardo Sanchez and why are all those Democrats talking about him?

Ricardo Sanchez

To answer the first question, Sanchez, a native of Rio Grande City, was once the Numero Uno military commander in Iraq. Unfortunately, for him, he was the Top Dog during that time when the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse stuff broke. In a memo signed by General Sanchez and later acquired by the ACLU through a Freedom of Information Act request, techniques were authorized to interrogate prisoners, including “environmental manipulation” such as making a room hot or cold or using an “unpleasant smell,” isolating a prisoner, disrupting normal sleep patterns and “convincing the detainee that individuals from a country other than the United States are interrogating him.” In return, Sanchez said the ALCU was “a bunch of sensationalist liars, I mean lawyers, that will distort any and all information that they get to draw attention to their positions.” Although he was never formally charged with anything, the scandal effectively ended his military career and he retired in 2006 to write his memoirs and other things.

To answer the second question, Democrats are actively recruiting Sanchez to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by the retiring Kay Bailey Hutchison.

“I would describe myself as during my military career as supporting the president and the Constitution,” Sanchez said in a recent interview. “After the military, I decided that socially, I’m a progressive, a fiscal conservative and a strong supporter, obviously, of national defense.”

He also said his political views have been shaped by his Rio Grande Valley upbringing.

“It’s my views and my history, having grown up in south Texas, depending on social programs and assistance, that America has a responsibility to its people,” he said in the same interview.

I dunno. It seems to me the guy is carrying a lot of negative baggage to be seriously considered a viable candidate. But maybe these crazy Texans might think that the techniques employed at Abu Ghraib are just what we need to solve our immigrant problem and putting all those uppity gay marriage folks where they belong.