"My April 5 column for the Trib, “Lies, damned lies & Hollywood communists,” elicited some strong reaction, especially regarding Joe McCarthy, who, despite perceptions to the contrary, did not lead the investigation of communism in Hollywood.
That investigation was spearheaded by the House Committee on Un-American Activities (McCarthy was a senator), which was mostly chaired by anti-communist Democrats, including a remarkable Pennsylvania congressman named Francis Walter. In fact, the committee's first and last heads were Democrats: Martin Dies (Texas) and Richard Ichord (Missouri).
There is much history there. But I'd like to focus on Joe McCarthy.
“McCarthy ruined many careers and many lives,” one Trib reader emailed me. “His name is a disgrace to America and to the United States Senate. He was not right. ... McCarthy was a despicable human being.”
To be sure, there is no way that I can here, with very limited words, adequately convince either side that Joe McCarthy was right or wrong. I have colleagues I respect on both sides. My general judgment is that McCarthy certainly had failings, clearly was not always right, but also — we've learned — was much more right than his detractors ever imagined.
Communist Party USA, which secretly and illegally received an annual subsidy from Moscow, was not just another political party. Its members were committed to overthrowing the U.S. government and replacing it with a “Soviet America.” Congress, of course, is constitutionally tasked with investigating domestic threats. For elected Democrats and Republicans to not do so would violate their sworn oaths — to America. Joe McCarthy was one of them.
The question, however, is how McCarthy then proceeded in that task.........."
“As attorney general, it is your responsibility to ensure that the nation’s laws are upheld,” Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) wrote in an Oct. 13 letter. He requested that the Justice Department hold the OSTP director “to full account” for violating a provision Wolf added to a spending bill enacted in April barring OSTP and NASA from engaging with China. In May, Holdren participated in meetings in Washington between U.S. and Chinese officials aimed in part at enabling scientific cooperation between the two nations.
Acting at Wolf’s request, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined Holdren’s participation in the May U.S.-China Dialogue on Innovation Policy and the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, and concluded his actions violated the prohibition. The GAO also concluded that Holdren and OSTP violated the Anti-Deficiency Act since the prohibition — detailed in section 1340 of the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011 — bars the use of OSTP funds for bilateral activities with China. The Anti-Deficiency Act makes it illegal for federal agencies to spend funds that have not been appropriated by Congress.".................
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Feb 2015: Climate scientist being investigated by Congress for not believing in global warming enough "Roger Pielke, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado, and six others are under investigation by Congress regarding testimony they've given on the subject of climate change.
Pielke, a believer in man-caused global warming, can't quite figure out why he's the object of a witch hunt.
...................... What am I accused of that prompts being investigated? Here is my crime:
Prof. Roger Pielke, Jr., at CU’s Center for Science and Technology Policy Research has testified numerous times before the U.S. Congress on climate change and its economic impacts. His 2013 Senate testimony featured the claim, often repeated, that it is “incorrect to associate the increasing costs of disasters with the emission of greenhouse gases.”
The letter goes on to note that John Holdren, President Obama’s science advisor, “has highlighted what he believes were serious misstatements by Prof. Pielke.”....
....Pielke's transgression is that he isn't hysterical enough about climate change. Unless you subscribe to the belief that runaway global warming is going to destroy us all - tomorrow - your views are suspect and you can safely be called a "denier." Pielke has dropped all research into climate change - a victory for the anti-science forces on the left. That's one less honest scientist to rebut the constant drumbeat of false information coming from climate change advocates."
Birkenhead, the author of this piece, is an interesting case. He is a red-diaper baby, son of “new left” 1960s activists. His dad was apparently insane and abused everyone. Birkenhead wrote a book about it (of course). Look him up, he is a character.
Its not difficult to see, in his writing, which is full of arrogant assertions, unmitigated contempt, besides much else, someone loaded with personality problems, a man who wasn’t raised right.
I expect comrade dictator obama to eventually acquire as much if not more notoriety than McCarthy did, except obama is the embodiment of the evil that McCarthy warned us about.
Below is part of Kengor's dare to liberals:
As to where McCarthy was right, I recommend that liberals read the extraordinary 2007 book by M. Stanton Evans, “Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America's Enemies.” The material on China is astounding. The information on what really happened with McCarthy's notorious list of communists is stunning. The section on Edward R. Murrow is maddening. The chapter “The Caveman in the Sewer” is infuriating. Evans listed numerous names of communists who did terrible damage.
I urge all open-minded Freepers to read this book.