Mccarthy S Abuse Of Power Term paper

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In 1954 a young junior Senator from the state of Wisconsin held the entire

Senate in the palm of his hand. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy used an aggressive

strategy of lies, personal attacks, and propaganda in an aggressive attempt to

gain power. Was Senator McCarthy a crusader for the common good of the people or

was he the ringleader of a witch-hunt seeking only political power? What tactics

did McCarthy use to gain his power? What brought about his demise? Joseph

McCarthy was a complex man and in order to understand his thinking you must

first look at his history, tactics, and supporters. Joseph McCarthy wasn’t

always the brash and aggressive man that history has made him out to be.

McCarthy was born to a good Irish Catholic family. Neighbors remember Joseph as

being a shy lad, seen-but-not-heard. At nineteen McCarthy left home to fill a

position as a store manager. At about this time the once shy and timid boy began

to change into a sharp and aggressive man. McCarthy went back to school where he

graduated from Marquette University with the title class president and a law

degree. McCarthy began practicing law in a small town and was soon offered a

position with a well-respected law firm, which he snatched up. McCarthy soon

became disenchanted working for someone else and wanted some power of his own.

McCarthy began hobnobbing with the local clubs and organizations McCarthy was so

well liked that he was elected president of the Young Democratic Clubs of

Wisconsin’s Seventh District. With a political backing McCarthy decided to run

for district attorney of Shawano County under the Democratic ticket. McCarthy

came in second losing to a Progressive candidate but beat out the Republican

candidate by about a thousand votes. McCarthy polled in seven times as many

votes as he should have which gave the fresh faced lawyer good hopes for the

future. McCarthy, in his high spirits, than decided to go after the position of

tenth circuit judge. McCarthy faced a tough challenge because in front of his

ambitions was a seasoned Judge of 35 years who most people predicted would be a

sure win. One farmer describes McCarthy, “ He had barely turned thirty; he was

probably the least experienced lawyer in the district, and he lacked the dignity

a judge should have.” McCarthy would not let opinions get in his way and he

ran a furious campaign. Judge Werner was 66 and McCarthy referred to him as

“my 73-year-old Opponent,” because of this McCarthy was able to exploit an

age issue, which he used it in his campaign. McCarthy also ran an aggressive

mailing campaign sending out thousands of letters. All of these factors lead

Joseph R. McCarthy to the courthouse and granted him his first taste of

political power. “Judge McCarthy Breezed into the courtroom full of vim and

vitality, like a strong west wind blowing through the moldering halls of

justice.” McCarthy came to the courtroom with energy, which quickly dealt away

a backlog of nearly 250 cases. McCarthy was not as judicial as he was quick and

was known to grant “quickie divorces” to his political supporters. At one

point the Wisconsin Supreme Court labeled his actions as “highly improper.”

While a judge McCarthy began networking and developed a list of names and

numbers of key political players and media connections, which he could count on

if he ever need support. In 1942 McCarthy waived his judicial deferment and

joined the Marine Corps. The reason for this is shaky at least but his actions

in the Corps give evidence that he needed a good military background if he were

to be successful in politics. “He quickly won a reputation among fellow

officers as an “operator” and a “promoter. On one occasion he sat in the

rear of a grounded dive bomber and fired off 4,700 rounds of ammunition, a

publicity stunt which made the Associated Press wire.” In another instance

McCarthy spread around a rumor that he had been wounded in action, which also

made the papers back home. McCarthy with the rank of Captain went on active

leave and upon return to Wisconsin decided to change his party affiliation to

Republican and divert all his political energies towards running for Senator.

Two things conflicted with this action, one is that servicemen are forbidden to

speak on political issues, and two that he was still a judge and was not allowed

to hold any other office until his term ran out. McCarthy confronted these

issues the same way he confronts all his issues, he ignores them. With the dirt,

which he had acquired while working as a judge, McCarthy outmaneuvered and out

hustled all other opponents to win the Republican nomination. McCarthy’s next

major political challenge was against Democratic nominee Howard McMurray. This

is the first incidence that McCarthy uses the issue of communism. “He told one

audience that McMurray was “communistically inclined,” and another that he

was a megaphone being used by the Communist-controlled P.A.C.” McCarthy did

not press to hard on the communist issue, and when he did use it he was in line

with the rest of his party who were criticizing liberals all over the country.

McCarthy won the Senate race against McMurray, but not by a well ran campaign.

The fact that McCarthy was a Republican in a Republican year made all the

difference and McCarthy rode in on his party’s shoulders. While in the Senate

McCarthy begins to show his real qualities which history has given him. He uses

slander, liable, and all out fabrication of the truth to his credit. His first

year in congress was uneventful and people have labeled him as a substandard

Senator if it were not for his discovery of the communist issue and speech at

Wheeling, West Virginia. McCarthy more than once trampled over the unwritten

rules of seniority, courtesy, and reciprocity which or legislative body enforces

in order to pass legislation. “He had no respect for the spirit of senatorial

courtesy or for the rules of seniority, and he was perfectly willing to make

personal attacks on fellow senators.” McCarthy was an opportunist and one

Senator was quoted as saying of McCarthy that, “ he will run the knife into

you – particularly if the public is going to see it – and he will do it for

no particular reason.” McCarthy when questioned and confronted turned the

table around and attacked the person rather than the idea that was being

debated. “If one was ever approached by another person in a...

James Rorty & Moshe Decter, McCarthy and the Communists, The Beacon
Press, Boston, 1954 Robert Griffith, The Polotics of Fear: Joseph R. McCarthy
and the Senate, The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, 1970 Anderson &
May, McCarthy the Man the Senator the "ism", The Beacon Press, Boston,
1952 Michael Paul Rogin, The Intellectuals and McCarthy the Radical Specter, The
MIT Press, Boston, 1967 Buckley Jr. & Bozell, McCarthy and His Enemies,
Arlington House, New Rochelle, 1970 You should cite this paper as follows:

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