Do we have principles or don't we?
It's not about who our enemies are. It's about who we are.
If we measure ourselves by the yardstick of our enemies ("not as bad as they are"), we derive our identity from their standard. Not acceptable.
If you want our children to have instruction on civic virtues, start with that.
On the practical end, what is so great about selling our national soul to purchase tidbits of information that we already know are unreliable because they were extracted through torture?
Some information is not available. We employ skilled law enforcement investigators who can get at information that is.