That’s the question that Gawker is asking tonight.  Did conservative shockjock Erich “Mancow” Muller fake his May 22 waterboarding?  They’ve been doing a little digging on the issue after a tipster alerted them to a set of emails outlining the possible hoax.  Maybe the most important part (emph. Gawker’s):

It is going to have to look “real” but of course would be simulated with Mancow acting like he is drowning. It will be a hoax but have to look real. Would be great if they could dress in fatigues and bring whatever is needed. We will supply the water

One word: ouch.

Publicist Linda Shafran of the Jerry Springer Show responded:

It was NOT a hoax. Early on when we were looking for someone to waterboard, an email was sent out looking for someone to do it and I mistakenly said it would be staged. That was my mistake and a misunderstanding.

But that was early and NOT TRUE AT ALL. It was not staged. NOT AT ALL. When it happened several days later, it was real, honest, actual, not staged.

Any info you have was my mistake. THE WATERBOARDING OF MANCOW WAS REAL!!!!!!

Gawker’s calling BS because the waterboarding was done the day after the emails, and not several days afterward as Shafran claims.  MSNBC host Keith Olbermann (or at least some of his producers) may be implicated in the hoax as well, if it’s true.  He had Mancow on his show after the waterboarding, as part of his charity challenge originally offered to Sean Hannity, then switched to Mancow after the waterboarding).  The producers apparently knew about the emails but went along with the segment anyway.

The site compared the video of Mancow’s waterboarding to that of Christopher Hitchens, who underwent it last year.  They noted that several things were done improperly.  It could simply be because the people involved had to find someone new at the last minute.  The original waterboarder dropped out a day before it was supposed to happen.

Or maybe not.  Gawker provides videos for reference.  Mancow’s waterboarding was definitely different, and everything I’ve read indicates a complete covering of the face, but Mancow’s face was only partially covered.  Mancow was also not restrained, as was Hitchens.  Basically, they ended up just pouring water into his mouth and probably part of his nasal cavity.  Water going directly to the lungs?  I think that under most common definitions of the word, that really is drowning.