[rlmorel]

I have to tell you, the story of Joseph McCarthy has had a profound influence on my life.

All my life, I heard what a terrible man he was, the wrongs that he did to people, the red baiting, intimidation, etc. I heard it from the history books, magazine articles and television documentaries.

I bought it hook, line and sinker. Fact.

Then, I read Ann Coulter's book. I just could not believe what she said was true, so I started digging on my own. I read all the books on that era I could manage, and got through about 15 of them in the past couple of years. I even went so far as to obtain the transcripts from the actual McCarthy hearings, just so I could see what was actually said.

You know what? Ann Coulter's analysis of those hearings fits the transcripts much better than anything I have heard before or read in any book. Then, I read "Witness". The typewriter thing got me.

Then I read the books on the Venona project, and it does turn out that McCarthy was right all along, as was Whittaker Chambers.

I now view McCarthy as a patriot, whose reputation was smashed beyond recognition. He bought our country time, I believe that.

And you see the tactics of the Left back then repeated nearly verbatim now. It is chiling to see.

[Rodney King]

Good post. My experience re: McCarthy is exactly the same as yours.

[mabelkitty]

You and I came away with the same central points - McCarthy is a hero.
Can you recommend some goods books on him? I'd like to read them, as well.
She hit a home run with her analysis, and I'm glad she chose to correct the wrongs of Mr. McCarthy's historical record.

[Fred Hayek]

After seeing what the barking moonbats are doing in Minnecraponus, that undeniably confirmed that Joe McCarthy was indeed right.

[Just A Nobody]

He bought our country time,...
And you see the tactics of the Left back then repeated nearly verbatim now.

Who will be the patriot that buys us time, this time?

BTW, your tagline is most appropriate!

[Zack Nguyen]

Did Witness have a profound impact on you? I read it about two years ago, and it is in my personal top five of all time. Absolutely riveting, deeply moving book.

[texasbluebell]

I have to tell you, the story of Joseph McCarthy has had a profound influence on my life.

You reminded me of this photo. Have you seen it?

Link to photo of AC at McCarthy's grave in case the photo doesn't show up.

link

[Freedom4US]

"All my life, I heard what a terrible man he was, the wrongs that he did to people, the red baiting, intimidation, etc. I heard it from the history books, magazine articles and television documentaries."

And high school. I was actually called a "beougeois reactionary" by one of my teachers. And I wasn't exactly versed in the art of rhetoric, debate, ridicule by so-called positions of authority, group-think, consensus, etc. etc., ad nauseam ad absurdum. We were all marginalized or isolated by the equivalent of a cheap parlor trick. President Ronald Reagan posthumously awarded Chambers with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I never heard about it then, nor would I have understood about it if I had. Now I know why. Get this - the leftist talking points these days points to branding normal folks as inherent "authoritarian" and/or fascists, but am also finding that some view anti-communists as having "latent homosexual tendencies". In a nutshell, our respect for the institutions of government, police, law and order, rule of law, etc., is prima facie evidence of fascist thinking. It's no wonder Sen. McCarthy was maligned, - anyone espousing on this subject is immediately branded as a crackpot or worse. Still, if anyone suggested in 1955 that the Boy Scouts would be outlawed, smoking prohibited in bars, the Easter bunny verboten, and homosexuals "married"... (not that there's anything wrong with that) What do you suppose their reaction would be?