NY State Senator 'Torture' Tweet Spurs Controversy A New York state senator has spurred controversy online by asking in a tweet if the Boston Marathon bombing suspect arrested Friday should be tortured. Second-term Republican Sen. Greg Ball of the Hudson Valley tweeted just after authorities in Boston captured Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-KHAR' tsahr-NEYE'-ehv) Friday evening. Ball's tweet calls the suspect "scum bag No. 2" and asks who wouldn't use torture on him to save more lives. Many tweets responding to Ball were critical of his remarks. Ball issued a statement Saturday defending his position on torture without mentioning his tweet. He says he is not shy in saying torture is justified in the war against terror if it can save lives.