Is the bush administration out of touch with humanity

I used to think that President Bush was an idealist. Every time I heard him speak, I was struck by the fact that I thought he actually believed the things he said. Even though I might have disagreed with his position I could at least respect his idealism. Now with the recent revelations on domestic spying, foreign prisons, and other revelations I think that he is completely out of touch with reality, public opinion and even basic human decency. The recent news regarding the political posturing between the White House and John McCain provides an example. I find it hard to believe that a nation can simultaneously hold the views that it is a beacon of liberty and that torture is an effective means of extracting information. It just seems incomprehensible to me that President Bush and his administration could even put forth the argument that torture is in line with the ideals of our country and its founding fathers. It also seems unconscionable that a person who has taken an oath to uphold the constitution could have gone so far wrong in his actions. Perhaps President Bush is still an idealist, but I do not believe those ideals are in line with those of liberty and freedom.