McCarthy Resurgent...

TW: Obviously the kid is not that old maybe 12-14 so he is primarily spouting his parent's ignorance. But folks really need to do some history work on Facism, Communism, Racism, Treason, and most of all McCarthyism. McCarthy was American and very real. For decades he and his disgraceful methods were considered largely beyond the pale. Apparently amongst a certain strain of Republicans, he is making a comeback. They believe Joe McCarthy was a national hero. McCarthy embodied a level of populist paranoia which did great harm to the United States. He was the Rush Limbaugh/Glenn Beck of his day and arguably less damaging

In the mean time until and unless the Republican leadership instead of embracing this stuff, distances themselves I would really ask folks to consider whether the Republicans provide legitimate opposition.

The Democrats need help, their legislation could use some tweaking (sometimes more than that) but this stuff is ridiculous. Folks will try to say well there are and were especially during the W. Bush years shrill lefty opposition. True. But for the most part they were contained on the fringe. I could have walked over to Union Square in Manhattan (and did for amusement) and found signs somewhat akin to the above relative to W. Bush (less some of the obvious comparative nazi-McCarthy-commie inconsistencies).

What one would not have found were mainstream Democratic party leaders embracing the Union Square attitudes. Joe Wilson is now a cause celebre within the party for calling the POTUS a liar during a national address. His fellow South Carolinian Republican Senator Jim Demint describing the crowd:

"This is not some kind of radical right-wing group. I just hope the Congress, the Senate and the president recognize that people are afraid of what’s going on"

Some Republicans like David Frum and Mark McKinnon are denouncing Wilson and Glenn Beck publically and without equivocation but they are few and far between and they are not elected. Not one potential 2012 Republican POTUS nominee has made anything approaching a strong stand against this paranoid movement.