McCarthyism Returns To The U.S. Congress

Minnesota Congresswomen Michelle Bachmann made news a few weeks ago prior to the House of Representatives voting for the government bailout package.

In September on the floor of the House of Representatives she stated about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that, “Loans started being made on the basis of race, and often little else.” She came under fire for that statement but she was not apologetic while defending herself. She again uttered some controversial statements with regards to housing at last Thursday’s candidate’s debate in St. Cloud. Now she's at it again. Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) requested a "penetrating exposé" into whether members of Congress are "pro-America or anti-America". Last Friday on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews Bachmann implied that Barack Obama was anti-American and in true Joseph McCarthy style stated that the Illinois Senator is not the only anti-American member of Congress: "The news media should do a penetrating exposé and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out: Are they pro-America or anti-America? I think people would love to see an exposé like that." For those who may not know, Joe McCarthy was the most visible public face during the period of intense anti-communist suspicion in the 1950's, that were inspired by the tensions of the Cold War. Famous for making unsubstantiated claims that there were large numbers of Communists, spies and sympathizers inside the federal government and elsewhere, McCarthy was eventually discredited and censured by the United States Senate. The term "McCarthyism," was coined in reference to the Wisconsin Senators practices. Today the term is easily applied to describe the demagogic and unsubstantiated public attack of Barack Obama and Democratic members of Congress. She was appearing on Hardball as a surrogate for Republican presidential candidate John McCain. McCain who claims, "Every time there's been an out-of-bounds remark made by a Republican, no matter where they are, I have repudiated them." . This is another case where the Arizona Senator has not condemned the comments. Perhaps that is because the McCain campaign's theme last week was to paint the Illinois Senator in the same light Bachmann did. Her congressional opponent, Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg, has been showered with cash from all parts of the country — America, that is — as apparently insulted Americans respond to Bachmann's request. The DNCC was not doing much for his campaign lately for he was considered a long shot. Well thanks to Bachmann and her rant, since Friday, grassroots funding to Tinklenberg's campaign to topple the McCarthyite demagogue has reached nearly a million dollars. It appears that her own re-election efforts have also been affected by her throwback statements. A spokeswoman for Bachmann initially stated the Congresswoman stood by her comments. "She asks some questions that Americans, Minnesotans have been asking, they are legitimate questions about the types of formative relationships that Barack Obama had with people like Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, Father Pfleger, mentor-type relationships that he had that may have informed the policies that he'll bring to an Obama White House," - Bachmann spokesperson Michelle Marston. However, by Sunday the one-term congresswoman was furiously attempting damage control on her controversial statements. Her ranting has raised questions about some questionable ties she has with some individuals in Minnesota. There is already an online petition to censure the Minnesota Congresswoman.