McCain McCarthyism

Huffington Post
Brent Budowsky
McCain McCarthyism

At various moments in recent weeks, John McCain has accused Democrats (and some Republicans including Senators Hagel and Warner) of voting against the troops.

He has accused war policy opponents of voting for surrender, advocating defeat, and doing things that make America's enemies cheer.

McCain has made sneering references to those who supported the recent resolutions in Congress calling for a change in policy, accusing them of cheering and applauding legislative victories that, McCain charges, help our enemies.

There is a great debate in the 2008 campaign.

On one side stands the John McCain of the New Hampshire primary of 2000 advocating integrity in politics, religious tolerance, and mutual respect across the aisles in Congress.

His opponent in this debate, is John McCain running for President in 2008, as the friend of Falwell, and the partisan heir to Republicans Richard Nixon and Joe McCarthy.

McCain is Bush 43.5.

It is not enough to disagree with opponents, he must accuse them of surrender, defeat, and helping our enemies.

It is not enough to offer a different point of view, McCain makes fun of the facial expressions of his opponents, mocking them with the lie that they laugh and smile to help our enemies.

Sadly for America, and for McCain, the McCain of McCarthyism has defeated the McCain of the Straight Talk Express. The McCain who said American politics should be lifted to causes greater than our own, lost to the McCain who sinks our politics, because he will do anything to win.

McCain is Bush 43.5.

McCain is Joe McCarthy 2.

He would change his middle name to Milhous, if that would help him win.

McCain is wrong, dead wrong.

Democrats are not laughing. We are trying to prevent any more Gold Star Mothers from crying.

It is George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and the man who used to be John McCain who are promoting the polices that are playing into the hands of America's enemies, and doing damage to America's military that will take a generation of wiser heads to undo.

The McCain of 2000 would never have hired consultant who worked the racist and bigoted ad that defamed Harold Ford.

The McCain of 2008 will do anything to win. It is not enough to support a war, to win the Republican base. He must demagogue and deceive in the darker tradition of others who have played to that base before.

New Hampshire 2000 was McCain's moment.

Iraq 2007 is McCain's McCarthyism.

McCain 2008 is a sad tale of a man who lost his soul, to lose an election.