-
Not Just the Media: First Amendment Under Attack
May 22, 2013 | 1 comment
-
Curl is Right: Don’t Dismiss Benghazi
May 22, 2013 | 2 comments
-
Artur Davis Says Scandals Are Real
May 19, 2013 | 3 comments
-
Good New Book: ‘Precipice’
May 19, 2013 | 1 comment
-
A Long Record of Obamite Thuggery
May 16, 2013 | 4 comments
The Spectacle Blog
If McCarthyism means the vicious and unfair smearing of somebody in public life, especially via toxic labels, then the most common refuge of a real McCarthyite is to throw around allegations of McCarthyism. With MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and Missouri’s Democratic U.S. Senator-by-Luck Claire McCaskill both acting the part of Joe McCarthy against freshman Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, conservative leaders are stepping up to the plate to defend the brilliant and principled rising star. Reported CNS: “‘Rather than whispering condemnation off the record to reporters, GOP senators should follow his lead,’ said ForAmerica Chairman Brent Bozell.” And, from Frank Cannon of the American Principles Project: “We are pleased he is shaking up Washington and doing exactly what the people of Texas elected him to do.”
National Review Online’s editors also chimed in, directly attacking Matthew’s vile charges of “McCarthyism”:
Senator Cruz has ably and aggressively executed his duty as a United States senator to advise on and consent to a nominee to the momentous post of civilian head of the United States military. He has not, as Senator McCarthy was reputed to have done, slandered an honorable man by cavalierly associating him with an odious and politically radioactive “ism.” But we can think of some Senate Democrats and cable-TV hosts who have.
To which all of us ought to offer a hearty “Amen.” Sen. Cruz, as a good litigator would, actually did his homework and subjected Defense Secretary nominee to a tough, thorough, well-thought-out series of questions. In no way did he impugn Hagel’s motives or patriotism, although he rightly raised questions — amply backed by his evidence — about Hagel’s judgment. Other Republican senators who carped about Cruz should instead learn from his tough but fair approach. All too often, senators who are supposed to be questioning witnesses bloviate on and on, failing either to get to their own point or to elicit useful answers from the witnesses. Cruz, on the other hand, was incisive and effective. Good for him. And good for conservative leaders outside the Senate for standing up for Cruz when few of Cruz’ own colleagues didn’t have the good sense to do so.
View all comments (23) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2013/02/21/ted-cruz-gets-a-full-throated
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- Downton’s Class System — and Ours
- We Have Her Example
- Of Wizards and Weapons
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
N8tivTxn| 2.21.13 @ 2:58AM
And good for conservative leaders outside the Senate for standing up for Cruz...
and good for The Lone Star State for electing a MAN with principles...
and the splash Cruz made causes one to wonder whether any of these auspicious lawyers have seen a witness cross-examined...
Maxwell| 2.21.13 @ 7:44AM
While cough here in Jersey in a very deep blue state, behind enemy lines I asked myself a few questions. One of those questions is how Senator Cruz made it thru Princeton & not come out with a brain full of liberal mush? He surely must have p*##$% off a few people.
I already sent the Senator from the great state of Texas a note, when are you running for President? If Barry can go from community leader to President, then Mr. Cruz can too. That is not to say Barry is the quality of Mr. Cruz, he surely is not.
Now if we can only find a warm spot in Texas which is as warm as Florida year round I'd relocate. Yes, another Yankee will invade Texas. Anyone know a good range to exercise my 'toys'?
Jack in Wi| 2.21.13 @ 7:58AM
Cruz and Rubio both have sold out to the Neocon version of history and drunk it's Koolaide. Cruz was nominated and elected with a lot of libertarian votes. So far he hasn't earned them. Lets hope these 2 guys grow a little and learn a little. Neither is anywhere ready to be President.
Occam's Tool| 2.21.13 @ 11:26PM
Jack: you aren't worth the sweat off Cruz' nether regions on his WORST days on your BEST days. How dare you slander our finest Senator now that DeMint is gone.
Maxwell: Try Padre Island.
Butch| 2.21.13 @ 7:38PM
Maxwell: depends on how much heat you are willing to put up with in the summertime. By the way, a lot of Florida that is warm in the winter is really hot in the summertime, and very humid, too. It can get chilly in the Panhandle of Florida in winter, and it's pretty hot in summer. In Central Florida, the Tampa-Orlando corridor, it is very h0t and humid in the summer. Also rains almost every afternoon April-September. South Florida is warm in winter, but quite hot and humid in the summer. Trade-offs. Now in Texas, it's never very chilly for very long anywhere except in the panhandle and extreme North Texas. If you want year-round warmth, try San Antonio, but its HOT in the summer, but it IS a dry heat. Austin is nearby, but it's Texas' liberal enclave, including recent immigrants from California, of all places. I'm headed to Dallas next year, although it is not as "Texas" as it used to be. You're a Yankee but you don't have Yankee ways. Unfortunately, they bring 'em to Dallas with 'em. They're still outnumbered, though.
Butch| 2.21.13 @ 7:43PM
P.S.: I lived in Texas for six years, loved it, and my kids live in Dallas now, so I go there all the time to see my grandkids. Florida: I've had many, many clients there, from all over the state. My favorite part is the Panhandle, but if you just gotta be warm 100% of the time (instead of 85%, and really cold is out of the question), maybe it's not for you.
Maxwell| 2.21.13 @ 10:52PM
Butch, I appreciate the feedback & the wife does too. I don't know if you check back later in the night at all.
Occam's Tool| 2.21.13 @ 11:29PM
Maxwell: El Paso has weather exactly similar to Las Cruces, NM. (45 minutes away) Very dry heat in the summer, up to 113, but MUCH better than Alabama in the summer, and winters in Las Cruces are warm enough to play golf.
My bonafides: Practiced in Las Cruces, went to undergrad at TCU, med school in Galveston.
Strongly consider El Paso. Seriously.
DRed| 2.22.13 @ 12:00AM
There's not a whole lot to do in El Paso, but it is really warm and quite safe despite being a stone's throw from Juarez. The food in much better in San Antonio, and it's close to Austin, which has a lot more culture. If your kids are in Dallas, it's also driveable from San Antonio-you pretty much have to fly from El Paso.
Occam's Tool| 2.21.13 @ 11:32PM
Tomorrow in El Paso is predicted to be 50 high, 37 low. Orlando will be in the 80s.
You get around 350 days of sun a year in El Paso, though. You can definitely use solar power for your home. And it's not so humid.
Shery| 2.21.13 @ 10:24AM
Amen! I read yesterday what McConnell does to incoming senators to control them. While McConnell is considered by some to be conservative, he is only moderately so, and he has become part of the DC problem of going along to get along. We need a lot of new blood, and with that I mean in the leadership in the Senate as well as the House. The leadership for too long has been more moderate than conservative and they add to this whole bait and switch mentality that is so frustrating. They act like they are going to be conservative, then cave. We are sick to death of this.
William R| 2.21.13 @ 10:53AM
If Cruz Acts Like an Ideological Demagogue, and Talks Likhttp://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/if-cruz-acts-like-an-ideological-demagogue-and-talks-like-one/e One…
William R| 2.21.13 @ 10:55AM
If Cruz Acts Like an Ideological Demagogue, and Talks Like One…
http://www.theamericanconserva.....-like-one/
Pete| 2.21.13 @ 12:51PM
http://www.forbes.com/sites/re.....rphaned/2/
DRed| 2.21.13 @ 1:17PM
Ted Cruz is a really smart guy. He knows full well he can lie his ass off and says things like "Hagel’s nomination has been publicly celebrated by the Iranian government — surely an occurrence without precedent for a nominee for secretary of Defense."
Cruz knows full well that none of you will bother looking up what Iran said about Hagel. He also knows that if you hear anything at all about it, it will be from someone like Quinn here, who will pat you on the head and assure you that he asked a "well-thought-out series of questions. In no way did he impugn Hagel’s motives or patriotism, although he rightly raised questions". Cruz is certainly principled, but honesty or intellectual integrity are certainly not principles he, or Quinn, actually value.
ggoblue| 2.21.13 @ 2:16PM
senator mccarthy was vindicated when the russians opened up their files.
no one was wrongly accused by mccarthy. no one.
DRed| 2.21.13 @ 2:34PM
McCarthy was right in general, in that there were many soviet agents in our government, but almost everyone he accused of being a soviet agent was innocent. By making a bunch of baseless accusations McCarthy made it harder to go after real soviet agents.
Quartermaster| 2.21.13 @ 2:51PM
Your attachment to history is, at best, very loose. Only at the last did McCarthy go crazy. many he criticized he did not accuse of being commie infiltrators. Marshall was an example of the latter, because of his idiotic actions in China and lack of support for MacArthur in Korea. Most of those he accused were guilty as original sin. Macarthy has long been vidicated, while your side was long ago convicted. Your still acts in the same fashion in a country you, and they, detest.
DRed| 2.21.13 @ 4:03PM
I'm talking about McCarthy falsely accusing people of being communists, so yes, I am talking about the part of his career where the drunken buffoon brought it to an ignoble end by falsely accusing innocent Americans of being communist agents. I'm not sure you how you take proof that he was wrong as vindication, but a lot of right wing beliefs make no sense to me.
CJW| 2.21.13 @ 8:01PM
Do you believe Alger Hiss was a commie agent or was he innocent?
DRed| 2.22.13 @ 12:03AM
It's a bit murky, but from what I've read he was probably a commie agent. That was one of the problems with McCarthyism-it let actual soviet agents plausibly deny their activity, because people were a lot less likely to believe the accusations.
CJW| 2.22.13 @ 7:24AM
There is no question he was a commie agent. He was convicted by the Truman Justice Dept of perjury. The perjury was his testimony denying he was a commie. Had nothing to do with McCarthy. Hiss was a former Supreme Court clerk for Frankfurter, a member of the Establishment, worked for FDR at Yalta. Nobody could believe that with his background could be a traitor.
RJ| 2.21.13 @ 3:33PM
For me, Ted Cruz's election to the US Senate in 2012 was the highlight of the 2012 elections. No doubt the Democratic machine and its media followers will unfairly attack him. We need to defend him and others when they are unfairly attacked.