Posted on 03/23/2021 12:03:33 AM PDT by RandFan
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is being compared by several conservatives to the late Sen. Joe McCarthy (R-Wis.), known for his communist witch hunt in the 1950s, according to a New York Times article published on Sunday.
The Republicans told the news outlet that Johnson’s promotion of false theories on the coronavirus, the COVID-19 vaccination efforts and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot remind them of Wisconsin’s infamous former senator, who in the 1940s and '50s publicly accused a number of government workers of being communists, leading to many losing their jobs.
Former Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), who retired from Congress this year, told the newspaper that “Wisconsin voters love mavericks.”
“They really love mavericks — you go way back to Joe McCarthy,” he said. “They do love people who rattle the cage an awful lot and bring up topics that maybe people don’t want to talk about.”
Former radio host Charlie Sykes, a conservative who the Times says is credited for helping Johnson rise to prominence ahead of his election to the Senate in 2010, said last week that the senator has “turned into” McCarthy.
“I don’t know how he went from being a chamber of commerce guy to somebody who sounds like he reads the Gateway Pundit every day,” Sykes said, according to the Times. “He’s turned into Joe McCarthy.”
Johnson, who has still not announced whether he will run for reelection in 2022, dismissed any comparisons to McCarthy to the Times.
He also rejected the allegations that his remarks about never being concerned for his safety during the Capitol attack were racist. Johnson previously said the rioters were “people who love this country” and “would never do anything to break the law.”
“I didn’t feel threatened,” the Wisconsin senator told the newspaper. “So it’s a true statement. And then people said, ‘Well, why?’ Well, because I’ve been to a lot of Trump rallies. I spend three hours with thousands of Trump supporters. And I think I know them pretty well. I don’t know any Trump supporter who would have done what the rioters did.”
He also faced backlash after saying in a later interview about the riot that he "might have been a little concerned" had the mob been comprised of Black Lives Matter and antifa protesters.
The Hill reached out to Johnson’s office for additional comment and did not immediately receive a response.
Johnson has come under scrutiny for his comments about the Capitol riot as well as about the coronavirus. The Republican senator told the newspaper that the United States’ “tunnel vision” of working on a COVID-19 vaccine instead of treatments such as hydroxychloroquine, a drug touted by former President Trump, cost “tens of thousands of lives.”
Trump had promoted the drug as a treatment for COVID-19 while he was in office, but the Food and Drug Administration has ruled the antimalarial drug is ineffective against COVID-19.
Ron Johnson is a HERO!!! He went from MOUSY to TIGER.....but the Democrats and RINOS have de-fanged him!!
Charlie Sykes has turned into Whitaker Chambers.
When the Venona papers became availabe, and exposed the extent of Soviet infiltration, I was under the mistaken impression that the GOP would run with the material and rehabilitate Joe McCarthy. I got that one wrong, as they ignored it.
bttt
If that be the case then I would vote for this man EVERY time I had the chance... Joe McCarthy was RIGHT.!!
Yes, we could use him doing his witch hunt right now. In fact, I’m sure that they would be vastly more fruitful this time around.
The fact of the matter is that the late Senator Joe McCarthy was absolutely correct and on target with everything that he warned us about. He deserves to be held in the highest esteem!
Neither appears with Senator Joe McCarthy in the title. I may have been listening to Malkin during a book review where she states that Senator Joe McCarthy was assuredly correct in his US-Communist inquiries.
Sad what we’re seeing now—openly Marxist legions. “Obamanistas” busy “transforming America”.
Formerly-smug Europeans must now be alarmed at our undoing—not to mention the Philippine Islands and Taiwan.
“They really love mavericks — you go way back to Joe McCarthy,” he said. “They do love people who rattle the cage an awful lot and bring up topics that maybe people don’t want to talk about.”
We do. It doesn’t happen nearly ENOUGH, though.
Feckless RINOs in my state, as well.
I hope Johnson runs again. If not, Gov. Scott Walker or Sean Duffy would be fine as my Senator, too.
I’m REALLY hoping Rebecca Kleefisch (Ex Lt. Gov.) runs for Governor. She’ll mop the floor with ‘One and Done’ pencil-necked, clueless Evers! :)
But But But Joe McCarthy was RIGHT!!!
McCarthy was not wrong and neither is Johnson!
A FORMER Rep and a FORMER talk radio host
Oh my
Former radio host Charlie Sykes, a conservative who the Times says is credited for helping Johnson rise to prominence ahead of his election to the Senate in 2010, said last week that the senator has “turned into” McCarthy. “I don’t know how he went from being a chamber of commerce guy to somebody who sounds like he reads the Gateway Pundit every day,” Sykes said, according to the Times. “He’s turned into Joe McCarthy.”
There should be statues of Joe McCarthy.
It was Ann Coulter.
Alger Hiss
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