“Until This Moment, Senator, I Think I Never Gauged Your Cruelty Or Recklessness….”
Those were some of the words that are generally credited with beginning the downfall of Senator Joseph McCarthy. The rest of the exchange between McCarthy and Joseph Welch, acting special counsel for the US Army, are probably even more widely remembered:
"Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator…. You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"
After that scene played out in June of 1954, McCarthy fell fast and hard in the opinions of Americans. Before 1954 was over with, the Senate had voted to censure him. Less than three years later, McCarthy was dead.
George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." In the end, what brought McCarthy down was the utter viciousness the public saw when they watched McCarthy during those hearings. Even people who believed as McCarthy did in the dangers of communism could not stomach the unhinged attacks the man engaged in.
"Shock and Awe" or MoveOn's McCarthy moment?
MoveOn.org was looking to get attention and so they have with their full-page New York Times ad in which they slam Gen. David Petraeus, rhyming his name with "betray us." It's the liberal group's version of shock and awe.
The ad's text is an indictment of Petraeus in which they do everything but call the general a serial liar:……
…….The problem for MoveOn.org is that the ad will strike many Americans as extreme and likely turn a lot of people off to its larger message.
As a new New York Times/CBS News poll being reported out today indicates, most Americans have more faith in the military to bring the Iraq War to a successful conclusion than they have in civilian leadership in either White House or Congress.
But the ad is obviously not targeted at the 68 percent of Americans who trust the military to successfully end the war. It's more for those who want an immediate withdrawal from Iraq.
But that's not where the majority of people are, according to repeated polls.
I think they crossed a line this time, but ultimately the public will decide that. At the very least, they have made life very hard for the Democrats by handing the Republicans a gigantic club to beat their candidates with. Any district where MoveOn runs an ad will become a battleground with the Democrat scurrying to get distance from MoveOn.
Other Links to this Post
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Questioning Petraeus’ Patriotism » The American Mind — September 10, 2007 @ 1:39 pm
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Blowback and Testimony « The Van Der Galiën Gazette — September 10, 2007 @ 2:23 pm
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Pajamas Media — September 10, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
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The Mahablog » Kicking the Can — September 10, 2007 @ 6:29 pm
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When the Dam Breaks, the Dems will fall | BitsBlog — September 10, 2007 @ 7:12 pm
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I am done with MoveOn.Org - The Detroit Times — September 10, 2007 @ 9:19 pm
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Blue Crab Boulevard » MoveOn Does McCarthy — September 11, 2007 @ 6:47 am
By daveinboca, September 10, 2007 @ 4:27 pm
Each Democratic candidate for POTUS will now be asked to explain what they think about such a ridiculous projection on the part of the Soros-cide victims. This should be a dead albatross hanging around the already treason-prone Democratic Party [Remember Teddy & Jimmy’s overtures to the Kremlin in ‘83 to stop Reagan’s re-election.
By Tired, September 11, 2007 @ 7:10 am
Peter Lewis is partner of George Soros, Ann Lewis is wife to Peter Lewis. Ann Lewis formerly connected to Bill Clinton’s White House administration currently connected to Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Gee Wiz guys do you think there may be a connection here to MoveOn.org?