McAuliffe Accuses Bush of “McCarthyism”

I missed this over the weekend: The execrable Terry McAuliffe accused President Bush of “McCarthyism” at a Democratic Party dinner in Ohio:
“George Bush has unleashed a new McCarthyism that, under the cloak of a time of crisis and peril, has vilified and questioned the patriotism of those who have policy and political differences with him and his administration.”
It is truly ironic that Terry McAuliffe, of all people, would denounce those who “vilify” people with whom they disagree. Vilification has been McAuliffe’s stock in trade for as long as he has headed the Democratic National Committee. Odder still is McAuliffe’s effort to attribute his own failing to President Bush, who is remarkably courteous toward his political opponents, and has certainly never questioned their patriotism.
Recognizing this, McAuliffe did not attempt to cite any examples of the President himself, or any member of his administration, engaging in “McCarthyism;” instead, he referred to television ads that the Club for Growth placed in which the Club criticized Ohio Senator George Voinovich for not supporting the President’s tax cut plan. How feeble is that? I would think that to be accused of “McCarthyism,” a minimum requirement is that a government official be involved.
And here, by the way, is the script for the Club’s anti-Voinovich ad: “PRESIDENT BUSH COURAGEOUSLY LED THE FORCES OF FREEDOM. BUT SOME SO-CALLED ‘ALLIES’ LIKE FRANCE STOOD IN THE WAY. AT HOME, PRESIDENT BUSH HAS PROPOSED BOLD JOB-CREATING TAX CUTS TO BOOST OUR ECONOMY. BUT SOME SO-CALLED REPUBLICANS LIKE GEORGE VOINOVICH STAND IN THE WAY. AMERICA NEEDS STRONG ALLIES ABROAD. AND PRESIDENT BUSH NEEDS STRONG SUPPORTERS IN THE SENATE. HEY GEORGE VOINOVICH: JOIN PRESIDENT BUSH’S FIGHT TO CUT TAXES AND FIX THE ECONOMY.” If this is “McCarthyism,” then Tail Gunner Joe really is due for a reassessment.

Notice: All comments are subject to moderation. Our comments are intended to be a forum for civil discourse bearing on the subject under discussion. Commenters who stray beyond the bounds of civility or employ what we deem gratuitous vulgarity in a comment — including, but not limited to, “s***,” “f***,” “a*******,” or one of their many variants — will be banned without further notice in the sole discretion of the site moderator.

Responses