WaPo Columnist: 'Is Darrell Issa the New Joe McCarthy?'
Washington Post columnist David Ignatius (a foreign editor and business editor of the Post in the 1990s) asked a bizarre question on the badly-named 'PostPartisan" blog: "Is Darrell Issa the new Joe McCarthy?" Clearly, the Post knows that when a liberal blurs you with McCarthy, they mean you are a life-wrecking, fact-mangling monster fueled by demons like ambition and alcohol. The headline is designed for web traffic, since the normally calm Ignatius concluded: "Issa doesn't come across as a McCarthyite." But Issa calling Team Obama "corrupt" was deeply upsetting to the Posties. Wrote Ignatius:
It was scary, frankly, to hear Issa describe the executive branch under President Obama as "one of the most corrupt administrations." What on earth was he talking about? This is an administration that has often tied itself in knots with petty ethical rules. Issa's comment bordered on demagogy.
When you see the righteous gleam in Issa's eye, recall other zealous congressional investigators who claimed to be doing the public's business but ended up pursuing vendettas. I think of Robert F. Kennedy's ruthless pursuit of labor "racketeering" when he was chief counsel of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. And, more chilling, I think of Sen. Joseph McCarthy's use of that subcommittee to probe what he imagined was Communist Party subversion in America.
"What he imagined"? It was common before the Soviet Union fell to pretend there were no Communist Party members in the federal government, but evidence out of the Soviet archives and the declassified Soviet memos of the Venona Project strongly underlined that the people doing the "imagining" were liberals who claimed there were no communists in the bureaucracy.
It's almost as telling to see Ignatius dismissing "petty ethical rules" as raising any problem for Obama, their hero. Even in Liberal Land, they've admitted corruption is a problem -- when "petty ethics" were a political ploy. (See Team Obama dismiss their head of the Minerals Management Service for failing to clean out the "Bush corruption" fast enough during the oil-spill fiasco.)
Ignatius claims to be troubled that Issa's committee will use a "partisan knife" -- as if liberal Rep. Henry Waxman was the pure essence of nonpartisanship??
Issa proposes to use his new post as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to investigate six major topics, ranging from corruption in Afghanistan to the misdeeds of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They're all worthy subjects, but with each you can see the twist of a partisan knife.
Reading Issa's agenda, he seems to alternate between seeking less government interference (as in his probe of "government hyperregulation" of business) or more (as in his inquiry about "government strategy for combating" Wikileaks) -- depending on how he can best stick it to the Democrats.
Ignatius ended: "Issa doesn't come across as a McCarthyite. Indeed, he has struck me as one of the smarter and more creative members of the Republican caucus. But he now has the whip in his hand, and investigative power, as we have so many times in American history, can be grotesquely abused." This is the way Washington journalists intimidate polticians: call it a pre-smear, a whiff of the smears to come. The only thing that's been grotesquely abused are the McCarthy analogies.
[Hat tip: Smotley]
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Comments
Wow, that was pretty lame for
Submitted by johnsonl on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 8:22am.
Wow, that was pretty lame for the WaPo. I figured they'd go straight to accusing Issa of being Hitler.
I love the Bob Kennedy
Submitted by jdhawk on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 8:31am.
I love the Bob Kennedy reference. The dushbag journOlist got the names right but he boloed on the facts. What Kennedy's little brother was doing was trying to wipe out the evidence of the mafia helping his older borther become president. In other words, he doubled crossed them. Eventually, they both probably paid for it with their lives . . . . Perhaps, even his son - or was that just stupidity . . . .
By the way, McCarthy was right. The Truman administration had been inflitrated by communists. The Venona Tapes exonerated him and others that had similiar suspicions. The Venona Tapes also settled the question of Alger Hiss' guilt and that of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. The were all found guilty of espionage, but the liberal press made their cases a cause celebre.
Issa will be proven right as well. Now, to see if he has the cajones to carry through on his accusations. He certainly has the liberals in a lather over it.
'Right on', jdhawk.
Submitted by texasborngranny on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:56pm.
Although Joseph McCarthy was one of the most demonized American politicians of the last century, new information -- including half-century-old FBI recordings of Soviet embassy conversations -- are showing that McCarthy was right in nearly all his accusations.Read more: Most-hated senator was right http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=4020#ixzz1AH7N9kjX
jdhawk.. but, there is more of a connection with McCarthy
Submitted by Gary Hall on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 1:34pm.
jdhawk.. indeed, but there is more of a connection between McCarthy and Bobby Kennedy than Ignatius is letting onto here. Bobby went to work for McCarthy, Bobby's Godfather, in about 1953. RFK was as staunchly anti-Communist as they come; as was his father, Joe, and Jack, the future President.
Shortly after the McCarthy censure, in the Senate, (and I quote from an book review in the NY Times:
Bobby was sailing on the Potomac with a group of reporters. He started defending McCarthy against their criticisms. "Why do you reporters...feel the way you do?" he wanted to know. "OK, Joe's methods may be a little rough, but after all, his goal was to expose Communists in government — a worthy goal. So why are you reporters so critical of his methods?" Even after his own conversion to left-to-center liberalism, he refused to disown or even criticize his old boss.
That ole Robert F Kennedy would be proudly standing next to Rep. Darrell Issa, today. Here's hoping that a future darling of the press will stand up and defend Issa for doing the right thing.
On an aside, RFK would probably be calling for an investigation of the apparent Union ordered Snow Removal Slowdown, in NY
(;~> gary
Bob Kennedy
Submitted by yutsnark on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 8:04pm.
How can that be? Robert Kennedy left the committee a year before John was elected.
Yup, Here Comes The Stuck Pig Whining...
Submitted by Winghunter on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 8:53am.
...Before they feel the knife - Yet, they will feel it as they've begged for it. McCarthy Vindicated At Last http://bit.ly/b2fmz8 BTW, Both the term 'McCarthyism' and the concept of Political Correctness were inventions dreamed up in the basement of the Kremlin - Fact.Actually I hope Issa will be the next Joe McCarthy
Submitted by Dave. on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:14am.
McCarthy rooted out a lot of communists who had infiltrated many areas of our government, and it is apparent that fifty years later, they have managed to do so again, and this time to the highest level possible.
We know what Obama is, perhaps Mr. Issa will will help to uncover just exactly who this mysterious man in the White House is that, a little over four years ago, no one outside of Chicago had ever even heard of.
Just perhaps they will stumble across something that will bring Obama down before the damage he is very rapidly doing to this nation becomes irreparable, because bringing him down after we have gone over the cliff will be meaningless.
And you can believe the Ministry of Statist Misinformation will do all it can tp obstruct the work of the investigators becasue these people have been lying and covering up for Obama for nearly four years now, and they haven't even gotten warmed up yet.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
From one Dave to another......
Submitted by almostacowboy on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 1:09pm.
You took the words right out of my fingertips. Good onya.
Yeah, that racist, fascist,
Submitted by Cowboy on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:15am.
Yeah, that racist, fascist, Hitler Constitutionalist Issa. Imagine a member of Congress actually demanding transparency of government...
This "Intellectual" Needs to Learn a New Word
Submitted by JustAl on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 9:32am.
Verona
McCarthy
Submitted by PrimalElements on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 10:07am.
Joe was absolutely right! Hopefully Issa will be successfull in rooting them out.
They are all over the place.
Oh great...more McCarthy revisionist tripe
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 10:17am.
That reckless drunk and colossal opportunist did greater damage to the legitimate efforts to root out real communists in our government and society at large--and those who were true espionage threats--than any other individual in post-World War II America.
Jer
damage to the legitimate efforts?
Submitted by Huapakechi on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:27am.
Just who was investigating communist infiltration before McCarthy?
Just what was revealed by their investigation?
Who was indicted?
After McCarthy was brought down by "liberal" communist sympathizers, the communist subversion of our nation's bureacracy was kicked back under the rug.
Guess again, Huapakechi...
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:48am.
McCarthy was brought down by his assaults on the Army, the Eisenhower administration, and his own staggering buffoonery.
Jer
But, he was right. It is
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:21pm.
But, he was right. It is just because the LSM back then as now made him to be a buffoon. Just as they try to make all righteous people as buffoons and idolaters.
Good morning Jer
Submitted by cocodrie on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 1:09pm.
The socialist media and the socialist legislators were 100% responsible for McCarthy's downfall just as they tried to destroy Pres. Reagan and Bush.
I lived through it and things are still the same today exceot now they have no more monopoly on the news.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
I'm missing your argument, Jer....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 1:11pm.
Those things don't alter the fact that McCarthy was right.
quasi-cowboy...
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 2:17pm.
I didn't say McCarthy was invariably wrong. But he certainly wasn't invariably right. [Do you believe he was right about George Marshal, for example?] His tactics were abysmally anti-democratic and anti-American, and he was indeed an ignoble, self-aggrandizing opportunist and blustering drunk.
Jer
The real question David ought
Submitted by Barack_must_go..... on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 10:58am.
The real question David ought to be asking himself and America : Is Barack Obama America's Hugo Chavez?
His well document, though until recently unexplored manifesto ( thanks to Glenn Beck ), as well as his upbringing in a radical, anti - American family certainly point in that direction.
His communist, radical, America hating czars ( subversity advisors ) hidden away in the bowels of our White House, along with his constant ignoring of the peoples will ( end run implementation of his radical agenda ) after the United States Congress votes against him is just the icing on the Obama Socialist Regime cake.
Representative Issa along with the new Republican leadership in the House ( unlike during Pelosi's reign ) have thoughtfully and deliberately laid out for all ( especially the American people ) to see, exactly how and why ( oversight of policy and implementation of rules and laws.....not a personal partisan witch hunt ) they were investigating the failures of the past. ( including mistakes during the Bush administration ).
This level of openness, transparency and accountability to the American people promised by the Republicans is such a foreign concept to the liberal elites ( voters too dumb to make own decisions ) they can only attack it as somehow being un - American to their way of thinking.
Rather amusing and ironic considering their own unhealthy, continued devotion to, and protection of the current occupant of the White House, even after the revalations of just what his seemingly innocuous campaign slogan...." fundamental transformation " is actually his attempt to irreversibly destroy the American institutions and way of life we have known for the past 230 years.
Barack_Must_Go.....
Your Post Flies in the Face of Reality
Submitted by JustAl on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 10:30am.
In response to "Jer"
How do you square your statement when a certain politician in elected office today added staff who proclaimed publicly they were communists and also staff who publicly expressed admiration for Mao? Or are we no longer living in post WWII America?
JustAl...
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 10:47am.
I'm not quite sure what that has to do with my post, but, in any event, Jones was jettisoned from the administration and the comment of the lady [can't recall her name offhand] who made the reference to Mao was taken out of context.
Jer
Jettisoned?
Submitted by Newsbubba on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:15am.
Come on, Jer. Jones was relocated to another Soros funded organization (other than the Obama administration) to continue his work for the party. The lady with no name ain't gone too far, either. They just needed to get them out of the limelight after they spilled the "state secret."
Remember, all conspiracies ain't theory.
I do kind of agree with you on old Joe, but you have to admit that he put the light squarely on the problem even if he was a little tipsy when he did it. Kind of like General Grant, maybe the President should have sent him another bottle of his favorite whiskey.
I love you, Jer.
Submitted by almostacowboy on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 1:15pm.
Every time your arguments are exposed for the straw men they (usually) are, you resort to "I'm not sure what that has to do with". :-)
And I'm still not sure. But,
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 1:22pm.
And I'm still not sure. But, I digress.
What exactly was my strawman argument?
Jer
Playing the card.......
Submitted by Herbster on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 10:40am.
Amazing! The Rupublicans have been in power for almost a full day and the Washed up Post is already playing the McCarthy card. Notice that Ignatius and his ilk can only smear - not win the debate with facts and logic. Can the race card be far behind? Watch the MSM pick up on this McCarthy idea today. They'll all repeat it. I can't wait to watch the best comedy show on TV this afternoon......Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC. or, as I refer to her, Mrs. Greenspan. Need a laugh? Watch her show, Need another laugh? Watch Little Chucky Todd and his Sorority Girl sidekick in the morning. Their love affair with Obambi and his administration is over the top.
How about a "Double B" ticket in '12? Bolton and Bachmann.
Damn him with faint praise
Submitted by Huapakechi on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:14am.
Likening Rep.Issa to McCarthy and Kennedy is a bad thing?
Has not history shown us that there was tremendous infiltration of the State Department and the entertainment industry by communists?
What year goes by when there is not a major labor union exposed to be a criminal organization or infiltrated by communists and criminals.? SEIU for one example.
I called it in another thread....
Submitted by AgentAmerican on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:18pm.
The "overpass punks" are going to use the McCarthy Card.
http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2011/01/06/darrell-issa-c...
Obama Lie = Corruption
Submitted by stratman on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 2:52pm.
Obama: "No Such Thing as Shovel-Ready Projects"