Leave aside the horrifying fact that Republicans, seeking to score some ownership of this triumph, would look to torture as their contribution. Why not the beefed up on-the-ground intelligence from 2005 on?
Exactly right. The Bush administration spent more time using traditional/standard interrogation techniques than it used torture (waterboarding ended in 2005). But the Republicans and far-right have decided to base their contribution upon the one thing that 1) is illegal and immoral, 2) doesn't work according to most intelligence and military experts, and 3) didn't lead to the location of Bin Laden.
Smart.