When last we saw Allen West (R-FL), he was peddling feverish McCarthyite fantasies about the Democratic caucus in the House. And before he was a Teabagger Congressman—he was a war criminal.

In testimony at an Article 32 hearing -- the military's version of a grand jury or preliminary hearing -- West said the policeman, Yahya Jhrodi Hamoody, was not cooperating with interrogators, so he watched four of his soldiers from the 220th Field Artillery Battalion beat the detainee on the head and body.

West said he also threatened to kill Hamoody. Military prosecutors say West followed up on that threat by taking the suspect outside, put him on the ground near a weapons clearing barrel and fired his 9 mm pistol into the barrel.

[...]

But while West's supporters call him a hero, military prosecutors said his actions amounted to torture and violated articles 128 and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

What's bizarre about the video above is that West says he'd do the same thing again, even though the guy he tortured was innocent and even though the torture yielded no useful information.

Here's Gen. George Washington, on how he expected American soldiers to treat prisoners.

“Should any American soldier be so base and infamous as to injure any [prisoner]. . . I do most earnestly enjoin you to bring him to such severe and exemplary punishment as the enormity of the crime may require. Should it extend to death itself, it will not be disproportional to its guilt at such a time and in such a cause… for by such conduct they bring shame, disgrace and ruin to themselves and their country.”

Shame, disgrace and ruin.

Who are you going to side with—Allen West or George Washington?