Spin is spin is spin. Torture is torture.
Why have democrats allowed the republican branding of torture to stand? Remember that the "death tax" is properly known as the "estate tax" or the "inheritance tax." It was through the efforts – some might say conspiracy – of a cabal of anti-tax rich folks and republican spin-meisters, that its name was changed in their own echo chamber and, eventually, in the traditional media, to "death tax." Ooh, sounds scary and cold and terribly greedy that the government (i.e., evil democrats) should try to tax death.
A thoughtful recounting of this largely successful spin effort is given here.