MovieChat Forums > Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) Discussion > Clooney admitted this film was a lie!!

Clooney admitted this film was a lie!!


Back in 2005, in an interview with the left-wing website, Salon.com (http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2005/09/16/george_clooney/index .html) Clooney admitted that he knew Annie Lee Moss was a Communist working in a senstitive government position but that didn't matter to him. Instead, he said that he was only concerned that Moss had a right to face her accusers.

The problem was that Moss did in fact have an opportunity to face her accusers and did face them, where she perjured herself, but Clooney purposely omits that small bit of information otherwise he wouldn't have a movie.

Anyone that wants detailed info about the Annie Lee Moss issue need only look at the records regarding her case. The most current book about the Moss case, Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America's Enemies (http://www.amazon.com/Blacklisted-History-Senator-McCarthy-Americas/dp /140008105X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204842174&amp ;sr=1-1), discusses it and gives solid sources regarding the case and how Annie Lee Moss was without question a Communist operative working in a sensitive government position who was in an easy position to pass on secret U.S. government information. It was illegal for someone who was a member of the Communist Party to work in the government and therefore Annie Less Moss should have been prosecuted for perjury at the very least.

The interesting aspect of all this is that this information about Moss is not new. This was all analyzed and determined to be factual at the time of the case.

So, for over 50 years, liberals, aligning themselves with the Communist Party on this issue, are still spreading the falsehood that Moss was innocent despite the solid evidence showing she was indeed what Senator McCarthy said she was. Why liberals are still sticking with this lie is a question that only each one must face and answer.





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America put the "fun" back into "Fundamentalism".

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[deleted]

Amigo, I think you may be a little off in all of this....

"---Markward testified at the Smith Act trials and other congressional hearings. She had named Moss at a hearing in '54 before McCarthy ever heard of the name. The HUAC members accused Joe of stealing their unfinished business and then screwing it up."

Which hearing is that? And where is the "evidence" that such an accusation of stealing ever occurred? The McCarthy Committee was known to have worked quite well with the HUAC on numerous occasions. Also, how exactly did McCarthy "screw-up" the case?

"---McCarthy introduced Markward to the subcommittee as...

"... a full fledged FBI agent."

---This, of course, was a lie. She was not and never had been an FBI agent. The problem with this main witness who compiled an inflated membership list of communists and gave it to Tail-Gunner Joe was that there were other named "communists" who were not members or never had been members of the communist party or any affiliation, and were never proven to be "communist sympathizers."

---You will not find that fact in Evans' partly fictitious account of McCarthy. But you will find that fact in the transcripts of the Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Government Operations, Espionage and Subversions, 1954, p.320-330. Seems her highly questionable list had grown."

I have scoured the transcript which you pointed to and not only are you wrong in your claim, the transcript clearly proves the opposite of what you have suggested. Here is a link to the transcript you have referred to:

http://ia341008.us.archive.org/0/items/armysignalcorpss0709unit/armysignalcorpss0709unit.pdf

you need only to scroll down to pages 320-330 to find that, not only are other documents proving Mrs. Markward was an FBI agent noted by the Committee, other witnesses who could confirm the testimony of Mrs. Markward concerning Annie Lee Moss are also alluded too. These witnesses testified in executive session before the McCarthy Committee here:

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/Volume5.pdf

On pages 63-73.

I'm not really sure whatever money was paid to Mrs. Markward has to do with anything, but your next point:

"---Of course, the real kicker was that the Army knew of Markward's allegations before McCarthy due to the other investigations. She was ultimately transferred to a "nonsensitive" position in 1955."

Is also way off target. One of McCarthy's main intentions was to show that yes, the Army knew of the accusations, and yet did nothing, and more to the point, he wanted to know why. You might want to read the transcripts (and especially the transcripts you pointed anyone reading this thread to).

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[deleted]

So the first link did not work? Let me repost:
http://ia341008.us.archive.org/0/items/armysignalcorpss0709unit/armysignalcorpss0709unit.pdf

---Markward testified before the subcommittee the next day, February 23, an open hearing. McCarthy introduced Markward as...

"a full-fledged FBI agent... and not an informer."

When does this happen? I have looked through the transcript (linked to above) and McCarthy on page 309 (which is the start of the February 23rd hearing) refering to Markward tells the committee, "The first witness will be an FBI agent, an undercover agent and not an informant." If he refers to her as a full fledged agent, it must be elsewhere.

"This statement was overlooked by McCarthy and Cohn. The problem with FBI informants like Markward was that her list included names of people who were never found to be communists, and her testimony was shoddy."

As noted on page 309, McCarthy refers to her as an agent and not an informant. As also noted later in the segment you originally referred to (pages 320-330) Markward was indeed an agent and had documents verifying this. Perhaps you could give me some of the names on her "questionable" list which were found to not be communists.

"In the second transcript you provided, the witnesses do not claim that Moss is or was a communist. They refuse to answer the question. There was no irrefutable evidence presented."

Mrs. Peek refused to answer the question of whether or not she knew Annie Lee Moss and the question of whether or not she had recruited Annie Lee Moss on the grounds that the answer would incriminate her. To me that says something.

"Fact: The army's security branch knew of Markward's allegations for several years before Joe entered the scene."

Exactly! McCarthy was wondering why she was permitted to retain her position when the Army had evidence to adverse reports on Moss. This is also referred to in the transcripts, Mrs. Markward saying she had been available to testify and yet had not been called on by the Army.

"On March 11, Moss testified. Read the transcripts. McCarthy, sensing that it was going extremely bad, headed for the door, leaving the interrogation to Cohn."

How do you know that's true? To me it seems a very favorable assumption for you to make.

"The charges rested entirely on the word of Mary Markward, a beautician turned FBi informant who had infiltrated the Communist party. She testified at the Smith Act trials and at numerous congressional hearings. She named Mrs. Moss at a closed HUAC session on February 22, 1954... the same day McCarthy announced his interest in the case. The coincidence was apparently too much for some HUAC members, who later angrily accused Joe of stealing their unfinished business."

You know she testified before the HUAC concerning her undercover FBI work long before 1954 right? Also, how do you know that the HUAC accused McCarthy of "stealing" anything? You have reiterated your point but shown how you came to that conclusion.

So overall, is your point that there were no Communists in the Gov't and that McCarthy was wrong in his charges, or is your point that yes there were Communists and McCarthy was just an idiot? And as far as the Army-McCarthy hearings, I'm pretty sure no evidence of "obscenities" was ever presented.

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[deleted]

Hmmmm...let me see if I can find a better way to post the transcripts.

"---You will not find that fact in Evans' partly fictitious account of McCarthy. But you will find that fact in the transcripts of the Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Government Operations, Espionage and Subversions, 1954, p.320-330. Seems her highly questionable list had grown."

In your first post on Annie Lee Moss you referred to the transcript I have been trying to link you to, that is McCarthy's investigation of Subversion and Espionage in 1954.

So, essentially, what you are arguing here concerning Mrs. Markward is that she was not really an FBI agent. She was an informant? I'm not really sure if that should make a huge difference, but either way, in reading the transcripts of her multiple testimonies before McCarthy and the HUAC, she describes being recruited by the FBI to go undercover and infiltrate the Communist party, which she did. In my mind, that makes you an agent. If she was already a member and the FBI convinced her to feed them info, that would make her an informant. If her testimony is untrustworthy, point me to where. Show me who she named who turned out to not be a Communist. What I have seen from the transcripts is that she had a working knowledge of the party and its practices. She named many people who were called before McCarthy's committee, many of which would take the fifth concerning Communist Party membership and activity.

Peak (I must have misspelled it the first time, eyesights not what it used to be) took the fifth when asked if she knew Moss as a CP member, and if she had recruited her. I believe what Peak said was that she would not testify against herself (in other words, yes I did know and recruit her, I just don't have to admit it since my own words would indict me).

I realize McCarthy would leave the questioning early. But why do you assume it was because things were going badly for him? At the beginning of the questioning of Mrs. Moss, McCarthy notes:

"The Chairman [McCarthy]: Mrs. Moss, let me say for the record, and for your information, for the information of your counsel, that you are not here because you were considered important in the Communist apparatus. We have the testimony that you are or have been a Communist. We are rather curious, though, to know how someone like yourself, who is known to your superiors to have a Communist record, how you suddenly were shifted from a worker in a cafeteria to the code
room. In other words, I am today much more interested in the handling of your case by your superiors than in your own personal activities."

That is the second time McCarthy made such a statement during the hearings. As you have noted, the Army knew of the adverse reports concerning Moss, but did nothing, moved her to a more sensitive position actually. Why did that happen? As McCarthy wonders in the Army Signal Corps hearings part 8 page pp. 347-48:

"The Chairman [McCarthy]; Let me ask you this, Mrs. Markward, and you may not have any idea and I do not know. The thing that impresses me somewhat is the fact that you have a lady here, Annie Lee Moss, who apparently has no special qualifications insofar as educational background is concerned. She was working in the cafeteria and suddenly we find her handling material in a communications room, encoded, decoded messages. Can you give us any idea as to why that sudden
promotion for this woman, or would you have any way of knowing that?
Mrs. Markward. I have no way of knowing that.
The Chairman. It seems rather unusual, does it not?
Mrs. Markward. Yes."

Especially considering Mrs. Markward was available to testify about Moss and the FBI made certain the Army knew she had adverse information. In fact, recommendations about Mrs. Moss being suspended as a security risk had been made at least three times in 1951, yet were overridden by the same review panel (the Pentagon Loyalty Board) that had been reversing the suspension at Fort Monmouth. This was probably why the case had interested McCarthy, opportunism aside.

Like I said, I don't know about the HUAC and McCarthy. From what I have read, they cooperated with each other quite well. Karl Mundt, a key member of the Investigating Subcommittee was once a member of the HUAC, and McCarthy had help from HUAC investigators Stripling and Matthews.

What have you read concerning Venona? I have more books then I can count on the subject. Cold War history has been a hobby for many years. As I understood it, the Venona decryptions revealed many Communists who were still in gov't positions even after 1945, including Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs. There was some overlap between McCarthy cases and Venona agents.

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I figured it out amigo...

There was an extra space insert for some reason between the "s" and "i" in the second signal when I copied and pasted.

Here is the Army Signal Corps Subversion and Espionage hearings from 1954:
http://ia341008.us.archive.org/0/items/armysignalcorpss0709unit/armysignalcorpss0709unit.pdf

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[deleted]

[deleted]

Again it's all in the testimony and transcript. There is nothing to "assume."

I don't know about that one amigo...

In reading the testimony, and Mrs. Moss appears here:
http://ia311341.us.archive.org/2/items/armysignalcorpss10unit/armysignalcorpss10unit.pdf
starting on page 443 (that is part 10 of the subversion and espionage hearings in 1954).

The rest of the Committee would ultimately seem to turn on Cohn, but this was well after McCarthy left. There is no reason to assume that McCarthy left because he knew things were going badly, especially considering what he said at the start of the questioning (which I noted last post):

"The Chairman [McCarthy]: Mrs. Moss, let me say for the record, and for your information, for the information of your counsel, that you are not here because you were considered important in the Communist apparatus. We have the testimony that you are or have been a Communist. We are rather curious, though, to know how someone like yourself, who is known to your superiors to have a Communist record, how you suddenly were shifted from a worker in a cafeteria to the code
room. In other words, I am today much more interested in the handling of your case by your superiors than in your own personal activities."

Certainly the Moss case did not turn out to be a big win for McCarthy, but in addition to the testimony of Mrs. Markward, Cohn, McCarthy and the rest of the committee were aware of a sworn affidavit from another CP defector which named Mrs. Moss as a Communist. This makes me think it is not really a case of mistaken identity.

"By the close of the 1940s, the KGB had been reduced to recruiting thieves as spies."

This seems a little misleading, mainly because the KGB was not the only Soviet intelligence agency. The GRU (military intelligence) was also quite active within the United States. Additionally, there were many named in the Venona files who were still holding government positions after 1945, and even around the time of the first security/loyalty battles in the late 40s. There is even some overlap between Venona cases and McCarthy cases.

As far as McCarthy's focus, with you noting "...by 1950, when McCarthy enters the picture, the communist threat in the U.S. was all but over. At best, he produced evidence that the government's security procedures were sometimes remiss." This was McCarthy's main goal. His investigations were generally into security practices through examination of cases.

One last question: what exactly was McCarthy's role in the Anna Rosenberg affair? I have tried, without success, to get my hands on the transcripts of the confirmation hearings. How exactly did McCarthy slander Rosenberg?

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[deleted]

"What's clearly documented in the transcripts is the fact that RFK and others began to question the evidence presented in the case against Moss, including her identity. McCarthy at that very moment could have argued that it was not a case of mistaken identity. He did not. Again, keenly aware of his public image and what was at risk, McCarthy instead excused himself from the hearing by claiming that there was a more important matter to attend."

Can you please show me where? Again, I will post a link to the transcript:
http://ia311341.us.archive.org/2/items/armysignalcorpss10unit/armysignalcorpss10unit.pdf

The questioning of Mrs. Moss begins on page 443. Pages 444-45 deal with where Mrs. Moss lives (and lived) and the details about her job. On pages 446-47 the real questioning begins, with Cohn asking her about Communism. McCarthy then exits at the bottom of page 447.

So in this statement:

"...McCarthy at that very moment could have argued that it was not a case of mistaken identity. He did not. Again, keenly aware of his public image and what was at risk, McCarthy instead excused himself from the hearing by claiming that there was a more important matter to attend."

You clearly are mistaken. There was no questioning of the evidence prior to McCarthy's exit and there is no reason to assume that McCarthy left because he felt his public image was at risk. There is no reason to assume McCarthy ran out because he was wrong about Mrs. Moss either.

You have cut off the end of the McCarthy quote from page 443-44 that I gave in my last post:

"...We are rather curious, though, to know how someone like yourself, who is known to your superiors to have a Communist record, how you suddenly were shifted from a worker in a cafeteria to the code room. In other words, I am today much more interested in the handling of your case by your superiors than in your own personal activities. However, counsel will question you about your own activities."

Additionally, as you have indicated, McCarthy knew that Mrs. Moss was going to deny everything (as per previously posted transcripts). So why would you assume that he ran off in order to save his image? McCarthy points out to Mrs. Moss at the bottom of page 446 that they have sworn testimony from an FBI agent (and that is why she is there). Cohn later notes that they have corroborating testimony from another witness (another pair actually). Why is that you (and the Democratic members of the Investigating Subcommittee) chose to ignore this evidence based solely on the denial of the accused? Can you please point me to any evidence that would indicate that it was a case of mistaken identity (other than the word of Mrs. Moss)?

I would love to address everything you have referred to, but for the sake of time (and that this post is about Mrs. Moss) I will not. Perhaps we can discuss these other matters another time. I will however linger on Anna Rosenberg for a moment. Do you know where I can find the transcripts of her hearing? Also, what exactly was McCarthy's role and what are your sources? I have seen conflicting accounts (even in books that are not friendly too McCarthy) as to what exactly his role was in the affair.

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[deleted]

"What's clearly documented in the transcripts is the fact that RFK and others began to question the evidence presented in the case against Moss, including her identity. McCarthy at that very moment could have argued that it was not a case of mistaken identity."

Amigo, you clearly suggested in the post before this one that RFK and others began to question the evidence and then McCarthy left and that was what I was referring to as "mistaken." And since when did the denial of the accused "shoot down the charge" against them? I asked for evidence other than just the testimony of Moss.

"At this point, McCarthy’s major charges, including that Moss was a communist, was vehemently denied by Moss."

So what? Where is the evidence? If it's the word of an FBI agent against Moss's who should we believe? But wait, it's not just the word of an FBI agent:

"Cohn claims he has Markward’s claims, and McClellan shoots him down… “it is not sworn testimony. It is convicting people by rumor and hearsay and innuendo.”"

When McClellan makes this statement he is not referring to Markward's testimony. Cohn notes on page 460:

"Mr. Cohn. Mr. Chairman, I have no further questions of this witness at this time. I will say this: We have the testimony of Mrs. Markward, the undercover agent for the FBI, stating that an Annie Lee Moss was a member, a dues-paying member of the Communist Party, the Northeast Club of the Communist Party. We have corroboration of that testimony by another witness who was called before
the committee and gave a sworn statement to the effect that she also knew Mrs. Moss as a member of the Northeast Club of the Communist Party."

Then McClellan makes his statement about heresay, in reference to the corroborating testimony. Later, on page 461, Senator Mundt again refers to this second witness:

"Senator Symington. Mr. Chairman, is there another witness, I understand, who claims that she knew Mrs. Moss? The question in executive session will be whether or not her name should be released, is that right?
Senator Mundt. The Chair is advised by counsel that another witness has provided sworn testimony to the effect that she knew an Annie Lee Moss as a member of the Communist Party ; that that witness is in contact with the FBI. I think we should take it Up in executive session and clear it with the FBI before we call her in public."

You have claimed "[McCarthy] had no irrefutable evidence." He had the testimony of an undercover FBI agent, who had provided reports and documents to the FBI throughout her time undercover. In addition to that, there was a second witness who confirmed the testimony of the agent. Yet you have insisted "[Moss] shot down his claim that she was a communist." With her denials alone. Not a slam dunk by any means.

How in the world did you get a copy of the original transcript?!?!?

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[deleted]

"The overall issue is, Why did McCarthy leave during the testimony? Clearly, there were still issues and topics to examine with the witness with respect to his charges."

It couldn't be because he, like he said when he left, had an important meeting? Considering that, no one was questioning the evidence before McCarthy left, McCarthy (and the Committee as a whole) already knew Moss was going to deny everything, and McCarthy had made two statements to the effect that he wasn't really interested in her testimony (but rather in the handling of her case by superiors) one cannot assume he ran because things were going badly for him.

"Did McCarthy continue his charges or investigation against Moss? No. He abruptly ducked out at the beginning of her questioning. He quit."

You pointed out earlier that the Army's charges against McCarthy followed this hearing, that would make more sense as to why the case was not pursued further.

"We know when McCarthy left; the fact remains that he did not challenge Moss when she, at the beginning of her testimony, emphatically state, with no hestitation or reservations, that she was not a communist."

How else could he have challenged her?

"I did not write that he is referring to just Markward's testimony. He is clearly referring to McCarthy's charges..."

No, he was not:

"Mr. Cohn. Mr. Chairman, I have no further questions of this witness at this time. I will say this: We have the testimony of Mrs. Markward, the undercover agent for the FBI, stating that an Annie Lee Moss was a member, a dues-paying member of the Communist Party, the Northeast Club of the Communist Party. We have corroboration of that testimony by another witness who was called before
the committee and gave a sworn statement to the effect that she also knew Mrs. Moss as a member of the Northeast Club of the Communist Party.

Senator McClellan. I do not think it is fair to a witness, to a citizen of this country, to bring them up here and cross-examine them and when they get through, say, "The FBI has something on you that condemns you. It is not sworn testimony. It is convicting people by rumor and hearsay and innuendo.
Senator Mundt. The counsel advises the Chair that it is sworn testimony."

Clearly, McClellan was referring to the witness who could corroborate Mrs. Markward's testimony. And you're comment seems to make it look like McClellan was suggesting Mrs. Markward's testimony was "hearsay":

Cohn claims he has Markward’s claims, and McClellan shoots him down… “it is not sworn testimony. It is convicting people by rumor and hearsay and innuendo.”

"Again, you have to examine what has transpired before Moss with respect to some other "wittnesses" and "experts" that McCarthy and his gang called upon to "prove" their case against suspected communists. Some backfired. Some of their testimony was highly suspicious or not credible; one person clearly committed perjury."

Again I ask, what about Mrs. Markward's testimony was questionable? Why have you accepted Mrs. Moss's denial's at face value? Like I said, the denial of the accused is not very convincing evidence, especially in light of the other testimony.

Ah, you must be referring to the McCarthy executive sessions, which were sealed for 50 years. On that note, how did you ed up with a copy of those? Seems that would be incredibly hard to come by. So you have the original Rosenberg hearings as well. I don't suppose you have them as a pdf?

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[deleted]

"There is nothing to assume. He ran because nothing did go right for him. In fact, things went terribly wrong. It is all contained in the testimony."

Like I have posted before, there is no reason to assume that McCarthy ran and there is certainly no backing in the transcripts for such an conclusion.

McCarthy is there for only 4 pages of questioning which continued for another 15 pages after he has left. McCarthy repeatedly noted that he wasn't really interested in Moss's testimony (and he directs Cohn to handle the questioning), the Committee was aware that Moss would deny everything and no one questioned the evidence (or gave any hint for that matter that things were not going in McCarthy's favor) prior to his exit.

"Fact: McCarthy never extensively pressed or explored in detail with Moss the purpose of her being called to testify, according to his testimony: 1) "how you suddenly were shifted from a worker in a cafeteria to the code room"; and 2) "the handling of your case by your superiors.""

Exactly, he was interested in her superiors, and the Pentagon Loyalty Board that had overturned a previous suspension Moss had received. That was the reason he called Moss to testify, it tied in with the Monmouth probe.

"Fact: When he first confronts her, she denies his earlier statement, accusation and question pertaining to ever being a communist."

So what? What does it matter if the accused denies things? Without evidence the point would be moot.

"He wanted to get that information from Moss."

He did? I see no evidence of that. Again, he was more interested in the handling of her case.

"You wrote that McCarthy had wittnesses and testimony supporting his charges against Moss. Ask yourself the question, Why didn't he challenge her then and there?"

He did, he had corroboration of the testimony of Mrs. Markward, and note, he did challenge Moss. He did inform her that they had testimony that contradicted what they she was saying. McCarthy did this often when witnesses denied things. This was an opportunity for them to change their tune in order to avoid contempt or perjury. As far as pursuing of the case, well, the Army-McCarthy charges and investigation put a nice damper on any investigation.

"Review the SACB’s statement regarding Markward's testimony pertaining to Moss and “the issue of payment from the FBI.” Its conclusion: “Markward’s testimony should be assayed with caution.”"

Well if the SACB found Mrs. Markward's testimony to be questionable, then it should be easy to explain why. I know that the SACB on multiple occasions confirmed the testimony of Mrs. Markward, especially on her information about Moss. That claim of caution is being read a little out of context. In any event, please point me to anything that would cast Markward's allegations into question.

That aside, the Army and FBI had information on Moss, there was the testimony of a witness and corroboration. As you have previously suggested, I believe McClellan and the other Democrats on the Committee had turned on McCarthy and tried to take advantage of the fact that McCarthy was not there (in an attempt to make him look bad). That's probably why McClellan and others began to question information they knew was good.

As far as the McCarthy meeting, I'll look into it. I haven't actually read anything about it before.

So did you live through the McCarthy era? I noticed some of your discussions on other McCarthy threads. And I am very curious as to who your uncle is. I know you have said you don't want to out him, but I would love to read up on his case if I could.

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[deleted]

"Believe what you want. However, I disagree with your conclusions, based on facts and testimony."

This has nothing to do with believing what I want, this has everything to do with what the facts and testimony reveal.

"Fact: McCarthy called both Markward and Moss before his committees. He clearly states his objectives at the onset of his questioning Moss. Moss catagorically denies his charges."

So what? Again I ask, on what evidence is the Moss slate wiped clean? The denial of the accused is not absolute proof.

"Fact: In a previous hearing, Markward testified that she knew of Moss's Communist Party membership because of her dues records. However, both the "dues" and "payment" record and her testimony on these subjects were later discredited by the SACB."

They were? You have further added:

"Fact: The SACB did not "confirm" Markward's testimony on the crucial points of "payment record" and "dues." These are two major points to have been disqualified or discredited. It obviously was enough to discredit McCarthy's case and for him to end the Moss communist hunt.
Fact: Nothing is "read out of context." Read the SACB report. Regarding Markward's testimony pertaining to Moss and “the issue of payment from the FBI,” it concludes: “Markward’s testimony should be assayed with caution.” Thus, not all of Markward's sworn testimony was irrefutable."

Really? Can you please point me to the report of the SACB that sides with you? The "assayed with caution" quote originated here: http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/Volume5.pdf on page XV in the preface by Donald Ritchie. If you look in the footnotes at the bottom of the page, he doesn't derive that quote from any SACB report, but rather from the works of three McCarthy biographers. Yet right above the assayed with caution note, Ritchie also adds "In 1958 the Subversive Activities Control Board confirmed Markward’s assertion that Moss’ name had appeared on the Communist party rolls in the mid-1940s." Which they did. The SACB report from 1958 can be found here: http://vlex.com/vid/37622201.

In this report, the SACB does indeed confirm Markward's testimony. The Communist party had brought charges against Markward, claiming that she was not credible and that she had lied about Moss. The board notes that "We have reviewed the documents in the Moss proceeding," and then concludes, "our review reveals that respondent's showing that witness Markward testified falsely in the Moss proceeding and was disbelieved in that proceeding is not supported." The SACB confirmed Markward's testimony on Moss on six occasions (Sept. 10, 1956, Dec. 13, 1956, Dec. 18, 1956, Aug. 25, 1958, Sept. 19, 1958 and Jan. 15, 1959). And as far as the issue of credibility on issues of payment, the report I have linked to above also addresses this issue:

"(c) The facts respecting the payments of money to Markward by the F.B.I. were: Mrs. Markward testified at the original hearing:

'Q. While you were supplying the Federal Bureau of Investigation with information, Mrs. Markward, were you paid any salary by them? What sort of financial arrangements did you have with them?
A. I was not paid a salary by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Nothing I did for my government was contingent upon receipt of any money from the Federal Bureau of Investigation or from any other government agency.

'Q. Did you receive any money from them at all?
A. I did receive contributions to the expense of the work I was doing from time to time.

'Q. What sort of things would they be? Make exactly clear just what sort of arrangements you had.
A. In this type of activity I was doing, it was very necessary to pay dues, to make contributions, to buy literature, that type of thing, and other incidental things.

'Q. Transportation to Washington?
A. Yes, that was part of it.' "

Doesn't sound all that fishy to me. It seems that the CP was attempting to make it look like Markward was paid to do what she did, in order to cast doubt onto her testimony. This clearly did not work as the report continues, "After the close of the evidence in the original hearing the Party moved that the Board reopen the hearing in order to permit it (the Party) to prove that Markward testified falsely," to no avail, as, "The Board denied the motion." The CP also sought to gain access to records as to how much and in what manner Markward was paid. This too was shot down, though would later be revealed through a criminal case in which Markward testified (United States v. Flynn). It would be noted that Markward received, "$24,026.45 during the years 1943 through 1952. This stipulation became part of the record in that case and thus was public. This occurred after the original hearing before the Board in the present proceeding." The CP wasted no time and again, "the Party renewed its request for an opportunity to prove that Markward had testified falsely concerning the receipt of money from the Government. The motion was again denied."

Personally, I don't think even the issue of her payments is worthy of labeling her testimony as to be "assayed with caution."

Now, back to the Moss testimony.

"Fact: Moss does not reveal any of the information McCarthy clearly states he was interested in obtaining. He appears agitated on the CBS footage. He abuptly leaves the hearing, which is a surpise to many in attendance. His excuse is to attend an "important meeting." He returns to his office and never reveals his "important meeting" or who he met with."

I have not seen this footage, so I cannot say one way or another as to whether he is agitated. That would seem unlikely considering that he was not particularly interested in her testimony and was aware she would deny things. As to to meeting, I'm still working on that one.

"Fact: Markward testified that Moss had been dropped from the formal party rolls when she went to work for the GAO."

Yes, as Markward and others have noted concerning CP records and those who obtain sensitive or important Government jobs.

"Fact: McClellan, Symington and Jackson were briefed by the FBI.
Fact: After McCarthy leaves, the committee Dems treated Moss' case as "mistaken identity." "

Interesting isn't it? The FBI provided a report to the Committee Dems showing this was not a case of mistaken identity, yet they pushed the idea anyway after McCarthy had left. That doesn't seem a little suspicious to you? And I think we have both established that McCarthy did not pursue Moss further because of the Army-McCarthy conflict, which interrupted the investigation.

"My uncle was called into a "closed-door session" with McCarthy and Cohn; however, they tended to treat these sessions like grand jury proceedings. Given that my uncle's "answers" or testimony is not published, it is rather obvious why I choose not to "out" him. However, it caused him enough grief during his later years (his name was printed in newpapers in connection with the hearings)."

Why was this? Why did they have his name published? If nothing was published, how do you know anything about the proceedings?

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There was no reason for McCarthy to assume things were going badly. He and the Committee were already aware that Moss was going to deny things. It wasn't like he didn't see this coming.

I'll say it again, the Army's charges, which launched the Army-McCarthy hearings were released the same day, don't you think that had something to do with McCarthy not pursuing that, or any other investigation? And after those hearings came the Censure hearings. Perhaps McCarthy did drop the ball on Moss, that's certainly possible. Yet given that he had other things on his plate that were far more pressing and the denials of those being investigated had never stopped him before, I would say its far more reasonable to conclude that the Army's charges are probably what interrupted and stopped the probe.

" In this report, the SACB does indeed confirm Markward's testimony... Personally, I don't think even the issue of her payments is worthy of labeling her testimony as to be "assayed with caution."

---That conclusion is from The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Army Signal Corps."

Show me where. I have linked you too the questioning about Markward's payment, you even posted the discussion in your last post! Show me where she said anything or anything at all is revealed that should be "assayed with caution." There is nothing, and there is certainly nothing that demonstrates that her testimony about Moss was false or misleading.

"Again, the issue is not "other parts" of Markward's testimony (which you presented); the focus is on the "dues" and "payment" record and Markward's testimony on these two subjects. That was the part that was deemed "...should be essayed with caution.""

Then what are we arguing about? If Markward's testimony concerning Moss is not in question, then what does it matter if someone thinkgs something unrelated is questionable? Additionally, you still have not shown me any SACB report which uses the phrase "assayed with caution." As I pointed out last time, that was the work of Donald Ritchie in his preface to the McCarthy Executive Sessions. I have seen no SACB report which makes such an accusation.

"---I'm older than you think. My aunt took copious notes during the (as she termed it) "interrogation.""

Really? How much older? And your aunt was permitted to attend a closed door session? How did she manage that?

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Older eh? Did your aunt testify as well? What hearing was this in regards too? And why did they not testify at the hearing (either executive or public)?

So your overall contention is that McCarthy dropped the ball in terms of Moss being a Communist or not being a Communist? From my readings, it appears that Moss was exactly what Markward testified she was. Whether McCarthy then fumbled (if you will) is another matter. Maybe he did, too me, it looks like he was interrupted and never got a chance to get back on track.

"We seem to be having a discussion on who ruled on what part of Markward's testimony and at what time. We are going around in circles here. Granted, the rulings or conclusions have changed over time. The board observed that parts of her testimony "should be assayed with caution." You posted the later Supreme Court ruling, which I've already read."

Alright, how are we going in circles? I pointed to the SACB conclusions in the late 1950s and the Supreme Court ruling in 1961. All confirmed Markward's testimony concerning Moss. Are you doubting this? Whether or not there was concern over Markward's portrayal of payment to her is a separate issue. We have both read what she said about the payments, and I don't see anything that should cause her testimony as a whole to be cast into doubt. If you have, please point me to where. And also, I have pointed to the "assayed with caution" quote source, you have insisted it was stated by the SACB, but have not shown me where. Beyond that, I still have not seen any indication that the SACB or Supreme Court for that matter thought that anything about Markward's answers concerning payment cast her other testimony into doubt. In fact, I haven't seen any indication they thought the whole payment thing was even a big deal at all.

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"But he was never "interrupted." He could have easily continued the investigation into Moss..."

What about the Army's charges? They were released the same day. There were no further investigations by McCarthy until the Army-McCarthy situation was cleared up. By then the Censure hearings were beginning.

I am not arguing about McCarthy lying, I am here to debate about Annie Lee Moss. You have claimed that McCarthy lied about Markward being an agent. Show me how. Where did he claim she was a full-fledge agent? How was Markward not an agent? How was her testimony about Moss questionable? These questions need to be answered.

"Again, we are going around in circles. "Markward's potrayal" is the central issue I focused on. The board’s comment about viewing Markward’s evidence “with caution” concerned the matter of payment from the FBI and the way Markward construed this payment. Again, it reverts back to the claim that she was an FBI agent."

And I have addressed this. What I am waiting for is an explanation about how Markward was not an agent in terms other than monetary. And in monetary terms, how does her suggesting she got "expense money" make her any less of an agent? I would also like to see the report where the SACB claimed Markward's testimony should be "assayed with caution." I have posted the questions and answers concerning payment and am waiting so see something questionable pointed to in them.

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"McCarthy and Cohn bungled the case. By failing to continue his investigation into Moss, the Moss episode became a major component to McCarthy's downhill public relations spiral."

That still does not answer my question. What about the Army's charges? They were released the same day. All McCarthy investigations were put on hold at this point. Seems to be a perfectly reasonable reason why the investigation did not proceed.

"In his introductory comments, which, note, are not included in the Markward testimony, McCarthy claims she is a "full-fledged FBI agent." It would be highly erroneous to conclude that Markward was an FBI agent because she gave names of party members."

Not included in the testimony? Well then where are they? I have linked to the complete transcripts of all the hearings in which Markward was present. Where would this be if not there? And no one concluded that Markward was an FBI agent simply because she gave names. She was an agent because she was recruited by the FBI, sent under cover, and made reports which were used by the FBI and many other sources in their investigations. How much clearer can it get? She was approached because she would be useful. So what? Does that make her any less of an undercover agent than anyone else? The FBI and Director Hoover referred to and identified her as an agent.

Again, this however, has little bearing on her testimony. I still have not seen from you evidence that Mrs. Markward's testimony was questionable. And I still have not seen any reasoning on why Mrs. Markward not being an agent (as you claim) has any bearing on her testimony.

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[deleted]

Alright, one more for the road....

"McCarthy and Cohn could have averted the beginning of what became a public relations nightmare if they had simply continued the Moss investigation."

That is certainly a possibility, but clearly they chose to handle the Army's charges. I think that may have been an even bigger "public relations nightmare."

"You have a link to the transcript which includes all of the testimony, but it does not contain any of the opening remarks made be the Chairman (McCarthy) which preceeded the testimony of the witnesses."

Yes it does. McCarthy even introduces Markward, just not as you have claimed he does.

"Again, there is a clear distinction between being an "FBI agent" and someone who simply gives names or information."

Naturally. In reading Markward's testimonies before the McCarthy Committee she is clearly not someone who simply names names. She is far more important than that.

"Show me where I wrote or inferred... "Mrs. Markward not being an agent (as you claim) has any bearing on her testimony." The issue is with McCarthy stating that she was an "FBI agent." "

Check your last several posts concerning Markward. It has certainly seemed in your recent posts that Markward's (claimed) questionable testimony regarding payment reflects on her testimony as a whole.

So what kind of company do you sit on the board for? Fortune 500?

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[deleted]

Excellent. I'm pulling for the Cardinals too. Another Pittsburgh Super Bowl win would be boring. I'm going to say Cardinals 28, Steelers 27.

So what about the "dues" and "payments" is the problem?

What does your company sell?

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[deleted]

It wasn't boring, that's for sure, I was just hoping for an Arizona win! Was it just me or did the Cardinals seem to get the short end of the stick on some of those penalty calls? Especially that roughing the passer call late in the 3rd. It looked more like an incidental collision and intentional grounding on the part of Roethlisberger.

I guess I'm not following on what exactly was questionable about it. I'll check on the books you referred too, but from what I saw of her answers, it seemed pretty straight forward. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Markward went undercover for the FBI, and they reimbursed her for her associated costs (travel, etc). The dues, referred to CP related dues. Unless I read something wrong, it doesn't seem really questionable. Also, how does anything questionable about her finances even relate to her testimony about Moss? From the SACB reports and the Supreme Court decision, it seemed that the Moss testimony was upheld.

I buy and sell antiques and artwork.

Solar integrator eh? So do you make the parts or do you actually install things such as the cells?

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[deleted]

And one more thing you might want to check out:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0367_0001_ZO.html

The Supreme Court confirmed Markward's testimony and credibility and shot down once and for all the CP's attempts to charge Markward with perjury. This was in 1961 with Justice Felix Frankfurter writing the opinion.

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[deleted]

I'm a little confused. What are you trying to point out by posting the text to something I just posted and linked you too?

This hearing, as well as several more by the SACB in no way throw Markward's testimony concerning Moss into question, nor to they suggest that Markward's statements about money she was paid were questionable. On this, and multiple hearings, the CP was denied in their attempts to discredit Markward. That is there in the texts plain as day.

I thought we had examined the claim of "full fledged FBI agent." It does not appear in the Signal Corps hearings you originally suggested it did appear in. Perhaps you can point me to where McCarthy does make such a reference. In the hearings we have been reviewing, McCarthy harps on Markward not being an informant and being an undercover agent. Where is the problem here? Additionally, even if McCarthy had introduced her as such, and then she wasn't in the most technical sense of the words, a full fledged agent, what does that have to do with her testimony, the case, or Moss? Too me, it really seems like the wrong thing to argue about.

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Fair enough, what then was Mrs. Markward? Because the HUAC, McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover all considered her to an actual agent. Maybe not a full-fledged agent, but an agent. She was recruited and assigned to infiltrate and report. As far as I'm concerned, that's agent work. What does it matter how she's paid or how much? Should she have been given checks? Perhaps gone through agent training? Cause either of those would have lessened her chances at successfully infiltrating as she did. In any event, I don't know what bearing her status as an agent has on her testimony.

Now, if you wanted to question McCarthy, that's another matter. Show me where he makes the full-fledged claim and explain why Markward was not an actual agent (in terms other than money) and the argument will be complete.

So you're much older and a journalist. Who did (or do) you write for? I have noticed that you are not a fan of Mr. Stanton Evans, how come? Are you his age?

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[deleted]

Television? Did you write for anyone ever? You sure are right about the slanted pro and con on McCarthy. He was a very polarizing figure. So what do you do now? Other than debate McCarthy that is?

So Hoover never referred to Mrs. Markward or acknowledged her employment? You might want to check out the Army Signal Corps hearings part 7, pages 320-330. Not only does Exhibit 18, a supplemental report from the FBI on Markward's information more than acknowledge her and her work for the FBI, the letter from J. Edgar Hoover discussed a few pages later to the Army was about Markward, her work for the FBI and her availability to testify concerning Moss. Additionally, there are the memo's too and from Hoover concerning the FBI's briefing of the Democratic members of the Committee on Markward and Moss. Hoover refers to Markward in all these (and probably more).

What does an IRS attack have to do with anything? You should know they come after money they think was not taxed regardless of who's it is.

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[deleted]

You never know, maybe the IRS had a legitimate claim on some of that "expense money."

Hoover did not publicly admit much now though did he? I pointed you to several statements from Hoover and the FBI on Markward and her status. He more then admitted she was one of his. Just because he did not "protect" her from the IRS doesn't mean that he did not consider her an agent. What ever came of the IRS attack? Did Markward have to pay anything?

I too will probably never retire myself. What exactly does semi-retired constitute? Work whenever you feel like it? Sounds pretty good...

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[deleted]

Wow, sounds cushy....and you gentlemen (and ladies I suppose) decide the fate of the company? Nice.

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[deleted]

That's a good point. Perhaps I'm wrong.

I was incorrect in referring to the Exhibit 18 of part 7 of the Army Signal Corps hearings. Its actually referred to in part 8, page 321 if I'm not mistaken. From my experience, agents make reports to the FBI and informants are questioned by other agents (rather then actually submitting reports to the Bureau). Problem is, Exhibit 18 is missing from the records. Strange isn't it? If you know where to find it, please point me there. I will continue to search for it.

One last point before the weekend, I am still looking for information about McCarthy's "meeting." What I have found thus far is that Roy Cohn in his book "McCarthy" claims that the Senator was ill that day (and thus why he left). Personally, I don't think that's accurate, especially since Cohn makes several other errors in describing the Moss hearings.

Have a good weekend amigo.

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[deleted]

I don't think its so much Cohn being dishonest. From reading his book, I gathered that he had written much of it from memory, rather than consulting and reprinting the transcripts and reports, etc.

As I understand it, Exhibit 18 and the letter from J. Edgar Hoover certainly constitute good evidence. Look over the transcript I pointed too.

How many people work for your company? A great deal? A few? Do you consider yourself to be a big business?

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[deleted]

Who is this Harvey Matusow guy? I have never heard of him. When did he work for McCarthy? In all my readings of the transcripts and McCarthy's papers I have never heard him referenced.

If he worked for McCarthy, why did he testify before those other Committees? Also, when, and was what he said relevant? You could be the biggest lying dope in the world, but that doesn't make you automatically wrong the second you open your mouth.

Anyways, we've gotten a little off course in terms of Annie Lee Moss and our discussion about Markward....

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[deleted]

Even in my readings of "anti"-McCarthy books I have not heard anything about him (or if I did, the mention must not have been memorable). One quick question about this "Job," if he was such a notorious liar, why believe what he wrote in his book? Is there any corroborating evidence (such as from the FBI, other books, etc) that he was paid to lie? From my research on the guy, the only thing backing "False Witness" is the book itself. The claims of being an FBI agent paid to lie and of being encouraged to lie by McCarthy and Cohn are his alone and stand on the book and little else. Did he testify before McCarthy's Committee? Again, I can find no record of him in either the McCarthy Committee records or the McCarthy papers.

We are indeed at an impasse....

I agree that McCarthy dropped the ball on what could have been a blockbuster case for him. I have not seen any solid evidence to suggest that McCarthy simply bolted, though you've stuck me on the meeting issue, as I still haven't been able to dig up anything on it (strange that no one, pro or anti, seems to know anything). As McCarthy was not particularly interested in questioning Moss personally (as he stated and then as he had Cohn do the leg work) but rather in her superiors (see, the Pentagon Review Board) I don't think the testimony supports the view that McCarthy ran, especially considering that the Democratic members of the Committee waited until McCarthy was gone to turn on Cohn. I find the Army's charges to be a reasonable answer to the non-pursuit of Moss. As far as Markward and the SACB, I still have not seen anything that throws her testimony in the Moss affair into to question, issues with payments and dues considered. In my readings, I have seen her referred to as an agent, additionally, the FBI certainly treated her like an agent and her testimony was considered both valuable and trustworthy by sources outside the bureau. Let me know what you find in your papers.

Sadly, I do not own any galleries...

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[deleted]

"McCarthy perfectly timed his departure. He knew that the democrats would have to wait for his opening statements and initial round of questions."

What evidence is there to support this conclusion? The transcripts and documents indicate that the Democratic members of the Committee had been briefed by the FBI as to the strength of the case against Moss. While McCarthy knew all of this, he certainly did not know that Democrats on his Committee were going to turn on him. The record supports this. The Democratic members of the Committee were very much on McCarthy's side through many of the investigations. Senator McClellan was the chairman before and after McCarthy and continued much of his work after 1954. There is no evidence to support the claim that McCarthy knew the Democrats would turn on him and try to make him and the case against Moss look bad.

"... it was shocking that he would press the abort button and flee from the Moss hearing. But he timed his departure, and it was not the first time he aborted a cross examination when things were going badly for him."

Where is the evidence that this was "shocking?" Are there press accounts you could link too? From reading the Committee records, people came and went and hearings were held without McCarthy quite often without anyone thinking twice about it. Why should this be any different.

Now, while I don't have any evidence on the following, wouldn't it be possible that a reason to draw McCarthy away from the hearings was "created" by people who sought his downfall and then a deal struck with the Democrats to try to make him and his case look bad? Its just a hunch, and will have to stay that way until I can dig up the reason for McCarthy's departure, but think about it. You know the Democrats were trying to make McCarthy and his investigation look bad. The Army's charges were released the same day, if the Moss case had been correctly investigated (and no doubt, McCarthy would have seen too it should he have been there) it would have been very vindicating for McCarthy against the what the Army had claimed. Again, just what I think, I have no evidence to support the claim.

I'll look into the Matusow book, but I don't think many are giving anything he said much consideration. I haven't been able to find that he had much influence over the McCarthy Committee and investigations. What he may have done elsewhere is another topic for another debate, though I do wish to address one non-topic claim: can you point me to another hearing where McCarthy ran because things were going badly for him? You have claimed that it happened and I would like to know where.

I don't know about discounts, seems to me that many have become very stingy these days (but I hardly blame them).

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[deleted]

I am aware of such tactics, but what "irrefutable" evidence did Moss's lawyer have? Something stronger than the FBI report? No, the record does not support your claim. The Democratic members of the Committee did not cite any new sources when they turned on Cohn. There is actually no evidence even referenced in their attacks. There is no evidence that McCarthy knew the Dems were planning on making him look bad. There is no reason to assume he ran. There was nothing false about the FBI's evidence. Note that they had the testimony of Markward and corroboration of said testimony in regards to Moss, but that was not all. The FBI had obtained copies of the Communists records Markward had pointed too, and they too confirmed Markward's testimony. This is all in the FBI memos, and not only that, it is also noted that the FBI had briefed the Dems on this, so they knew the case was definitely solid and definitely not mistaken identity (as they would later claim).

And as far as Kenyon goes, I hope you have a little more than just that he didn't cross examine her. The Tydings hearings can be found here:

http://ia341011.us.archive.org/1/items/statedepartmente195001unit/statedepartmente195001unit.pdf

This is where the questioning you are referring to can be found. As you may note, Hickenlooper was a member of the Committee and McCarthy was not. McCarthy was treated as just another witness and not permitted to cross examine anyone. As far as Dorothy Kenyon's life being ruined, I highly doubt that. Maybe she did miss an appointment to the U.N., but let us not forget that she was a highly successful judge before, during and after McCarthy. Did she lose her job because of McCarthy? No. And let us also not forget that the Tydings investigation as per resolution 231 was to examine whether or not there were security and loyalty risks in government (as McCarthy had claimed), not whether the individuals themselves were Communists or spies or what have you. Since McCarthy was never permitted to question Kenyon I think suggesting that he "ran" is a little far fetched. And while McCarthy did not present evidence of 28 front memberships, he did present evidence of 24. Remember, the State Department had recently noted that membership in even one Communist front group was something that should be considered in terms of appointments, etc. It was noted that Kenyon had not been asked about anything when the St. Dept. recommended her appointment. That, more than anything else, was McCarthy's point.

I'll try to get my hands of both those books. Thank the maker for Amazon.com right?

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[deleted]

"There was a statement released by Moss' attorney before the hearing commenced, which was distributed to members of the committee and the press. You, of course, will not find that released statement "mentioned" in the testimony. Indeed, no pre-hearing statements/releases are included in any transcripts. But it is a fact. It included a declaration of his client's innocence and a denial of Moss ever belonging to any communist organization."

So what? Where is the evidence? The Democrats choosing the believe the denial of the accused over real solid evidence only shows their true intentions: to damage McCarthy and his investigation. Again, you have shown no evidence that McCarthy ran. Do I need to link to the transcript again and quote passages? The Democrats did nothing to indicate their plans to turn on McCarthy (and the evidence) until McCarthy had left.

As far as her true identity. Lets think, the woman Markward identified was named Annie Lee Moss lived at the same address Mrs. Moss later would admit she had lived and received the "Daily Worker" at, worked in the same jobs, had the same roommate and so on. The CP records in possession of the FBI confirmed this. Plus, there were additional witnesses ready to corroborate Markward's testimony. What is this "true identity" nonsense?

As far as the Democrats supporting anything initially, the Democrats, as you will note, didn't say anything at all until McCarthy had left, and then not much of anything for several more pages of transcript.

"Qustion: Who charged Keynon with belonging to communist clubs or organizations?"

Yes, McCarthy charged Kenyon with membership in front groups, as an indictment of the State Department. As you will notice in the Hickenlooper questioning, Kenyon has some selective amnesia concerning her membership in a great deal of these groups.

What does it matter what Kenyon says? The denial of the accused is not convincing evidence.

"Per ducking the cross-examination, it speaks for itself. Per McCarthy was "never permitted to question" Keynon, that is pure BS."

McCarthy was not permitted cross examination of any witnesses, end of story. I welcome you to point me to anywhere in the Tydings transcript where he was given that opportunity, you won't find it. He was not a member of the Committee and was not granted privileges as such.

"...some of the clubs or organizations that he claimed Keynon belonged to were, in fact, clubs or names that she simply lent her name to."

The point I made last post was that the State Department had not even bothered to deal with the situation. This was an indictment and investigation of the State Department, or at least it was supposed to be. The State Department had noted that membership in even one group (even just lending one's name) should raise flags. Why wasn't this done in Kenyon's place?

Like I said, Kenyon didn't lose her job and go to jail. Maybe she didn't get appointed to any political positions, but then again, maybe she shouldn't have lent her name to groups she didn't know anything about.

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[deleted]

I actually already have the book, and many many others on the FBI, and it seems to me that this Mr. Lamphere has an opinion quite different from the FBI director Mr. Hoover concerning Communist infiltration. Do not forget, McCarthy named ten people who would later appear in the Venona decryptions.

Lets back up a little here.

First of all, show me evidence, any evidence at all to indicate that McCarthy ran from the Moss hearing.

http://ia311341.us.archive.org/2/items/armysignalcorpss10unit/armysignalcorpss10unit.pdf

The Moss testimony begins on page 443.

Show me evidence that McCarthy knew the Democrats were going to try to turn on him.

What is documented is the FBI had thoroughly briefed Senator Jackson on the Moss case, especially that it was not a case of mistaken identity. FBI memos further indicate that Senator Jackson passed on this information to the other Democratic members of the Committee and also, that he agreed with the FBI's assessment of the case.

What is not documented is anything you have claimed so far. Markward was correct in her naming of Moss, and McCarthy was correct to have the Committee look into her promotion. What I do not know, is why McCarthy left. I have gotten some speculation from several authors and researchers, but no one seems to know of any documentation. The general consensus I have reached is that McCarthy had some sort of meeting concerning his response to the just released charges of the Army. Can you point me to the source of the claim that some reporters followed him back to his office?

"Turn your question around: Why would McCarthy have stayed if he knew he was going to be embarrassed on national TV?"

First of all, how do you know that McCarthy was aware the Dems were out for blood? And second of all, embarrassed how? Jackson, McClellan and Symington ignored the evidence in their televised "clearing" of Annie Lee Moss. No evidence is pointed too by the Democrats! They simply begin to doubt a case they knew to be strong. That is the real question. What kind of back room deal had they made to get them to turn on McCarthy like that?

As far as Kenyon is concerned, the State Department noted that, even if the group was later found to be a front group and the person in question then dropped out, even one time, that was still something that had to be considered. By Kenyon's own mouth it was confirmed that the State Department took no action when it should have.

And I have not seen evidence that McCarthy lied. Kenyon pulls the old "I'm sorry I don't recall," and that means McCarthy was wrong? Again, what lies did he tell about Kenyon? How did this "damage" her?

"It's BS to claim he was never "given that opportunity.""

You're going to have to do better then simply calling BS. I pointed you to the transcript. Unless you can prove me wrong your call of BS means little. And you are wrong about McCarthy requesting an opportunity to question witnesses. That he did too and Committee members did on his behalf. He was denied such an opportunity.

"He appeared in front of the Tydings Committee and accused people of being commmunists or having communist ties. He was not barred from appearing at the Tydings Committee's proceedings...He did not question or challenge Keynon's comments about him being a liar. Fact: he ducked any confrontation with her."

Great, then you should be able to point me to a place in the transcript where McCarthy was offered a chance to cross-examine Mrs. Kenyon and said he would rather not. Show me evidence McCarthy ducked confrontation. Of course he was part of the Committee's proceedings, he was the star witness! But he was not a member of the Committee itself.

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[deleted]

"These written statements on behalf of those testifying were released before the hearings commenced..."

So you have in your possession written statements that indicate that the Democrats were planning on turning on McCarthy? Statements that prove McCarthy knew the Democrats were going to try to shoot down his case? I highly doubt such convenient statements exist, but I would love to see what you have.

What is your source that McCarthy "went back to his office?" I would like to see it. Again, the "reporters follwing him" tale seems very convenient as well.

"Thus, you can choose to ignore the fact that democrats, republicans and members of the press possessed this information before the hearing(s) began. But the fact is that it was common practice for the accused to begin their defense days---even weeks---before they appeared in front of the committee(s)."

Alright, what does it matter that Moss's lawyer claimed she was innocent? What does it matter if these claims were circulated? Are the denials of the accused and the lawyer of the accused enough to clear someone? Why don't you try that in court and let me know how that goes. McCarthy had documented evidence of his claims, Moss had nothing of the sort, and you have presented nothing of the sort either.

"Why would McCarthy have stayed if he knew he was going to be embarrassed on national TV?"

If the case was as strong as McCarthy (and the FBI) believed it to be, why stay? Especially if there was something else at hand that needed to be dealt with. You have shown no evidence that McCarthy knew the Democrats were going to try to embarrass him, therefore your conclusion that he ran on these grounds holds no water.

"The democrats, in effect, challenged McCarthy's conclusions and statements based on his questionable "evidence" and accusations---statements he had made."

An FBI memo from Lou Nichols begs to differ. Nichols indicates in a memo written on February 24th, the day after the Markward testimony, that he had briefed Senator Jackson and Robert Kennedy on the strengths of the case, and especially that it was not a case of mistaken identity. Nichols made them aware that the FBI had two witnesses to corroborate Markward and also had copies of the CP records Markward had referred to. The memo further indicates that Jackson had said he believed the case to be good. Yet strangely, Senator Jackson, and the rest of the Democrats he had briefed, acted as if the case wasn't solid. In so doing, they were challenging not only McCarthy, but the FBI. The conclusions weren't just McCarthy's. Note, Moss was suspended by the Army before, but the suspension was reversed by the Pentagon Review Board. Consequently, do you know what happened to Moss after McCarthy?

"That's another good one...McCarthy didn't need "an invitation" to attend the hearings. The hearings were open to any member of Congress or Senate. Or did you not know that simple fact? As a member of the Senate, McCarthy could have attended every day. He was not barred from attending the hearngs. And we know that McCarthy spoke out in the press about the hearings."

I am not disagreeing that McCarthy did not attend the hearings or make statements to the press concerning them. But he was not one of the five Subcommittee members, he was a witness. The Tydings hearings can be found here:

http://ia341010.us.archive.org/1/items/statedepartmente195001unit/statedepartmente195001unit.pdf

On pages 256-257 Senator Hickenlooper suggests that McCarthy be permitted question a witness. Tydings not only denies him this, he states that the witness, Philip Jessup, should question McCarthy. A little later, Tydings spells out the hearing-long questioning ban for McCarthy. Hickenlooper asks if McCarthy will be permitted to question other witnesses, to which Tydings responds that it will require a Subcommittee vote. In essence, Tydings was warning Senators Hickenlooper and Lodge that they would be outvoted in such matters, as they were the minority party. This warning would quell any future requests on McCarthy's behalf.

As far as McCarthy being a liar, you may want to check out his testimony at the Tydings hearings. His information concerning Kenyon begins on page 17, but the opening remarks start right at page 1. McCarthy was interrupted, shouted down and cut off throughout his time testifying before Tydings. I think that may have a little more to do with his not presenting of information on questionable group membership, rather than him not having it at all.

Again I ask: Show me evidence McCarthy ducked confrontation with Kenyon.

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[deleted]

"You'll find all the "evidence" you need in the New York Times, which published an editorial supporting Kenyon...Thus, after embellishing the list of organizations, failing to provide evidence and ducking the Keynon cross examination..."

I have provided you with evidence that McCarthy was not permitted to cross examine any of the witnesses, thus he "ducked" nothing. I'll again refer to the Tydings hearings. On pages 256-57 Senator Tydings makes it clear that Hickenlooper's request that McCarthy be permitted to cross examine the witnesses was never going to happen, as the Subcommittee would have to vote in favor of such a motion and the majority was clearly against it. On page 442, McCarthy was forbidden to question Dr. Lattimore. On page 479 Tydings again denies McCarthy a chance at cross examination. In each case, Senator Hickenlooper had requested that McCarthy conduct the cross examination, as he had made the charges and was more familiar with the material.

And as far as irrefutable evidence, McCarthy had documentation of Kenyon's membership in questionable groups, there was no embellishment involved. As I pointed out, McCarthy was never given the opportunity to present his case for all 28 groups, do to constant interruption and badgering. This is spelled out clearly in the in the first 72 pages of testimony. And since McCarthy did not address all 28 groups, Senator Hickenlooper, in his cross examination of Kenyon covered the remainder (see pages 188-208).

Now, on McCarthy returning to his office, you're going to have to point me to specific accounts if you know of them. I have not been able to dig up anything on the matter in the papers archives in a general search. Course, I don't know what article I'm looking for though, so if you have a specific one in mind, point me too it.

"I have a copy of the original statement as preapared and read by Moss' lawyer. As I have written, this statement, which was released and distributed to members of the committee and the press, denies all of McCarthy's charges and questions his character. Given the fact that McCarthy was not successful in getting Moss to reveal any substantial and damaging information to support his charges, it is clear that the democrats had a clear opening to attack McCarthy's "evidence" or accusations."

So you have no evidence that McCarthy knew the Democrats were going to turn on him. Again, show me any case, any case at all, where the denial of the accused (or a denial from the lawyer of the accused) and attacks on the prosecution are enough to clear someone. You won't find such a scenario. McCarthy had good solid evidence. Moss had none.

"The question is, Why did McCarthy bolt from the cross examination?"

I don't think so. The real question is why did the Democratic members of the Committee turn on good evidence?

"If it wasn't a case of "mistaken identity" and McCarthy had "irrefutable evidence," then why did McCarthy choose to bolt the cross examination so soon?"

The answer is the same answer I have given. McCarthy had expressed little interest in the testimony of Moss (see the previous hearings); he directed someone else to handle the questioning (as the Pentagon Review Board was his real interest); the case was solid, and McCarthy believed his fellow Committee members knew so; and he had a very pressing PR nightmare staring him in the face. Since the case was good, and McCarthy knew the rest of the Committee had been briefed as such, if he had somewhere else to be, he didn't need to stay.

What is your evidence he bolted? Direct me to articles that prove he had no important meeting. What is your evidence that the Moss case was not strong? And I'm not talking about a press release by the accused, I'm talking about solid documentation, such as McCarthy had against Moss.

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[deleted]

Lets look back for a moment at some of the previous posts:

My initial claim: "McCarthy was treated as just another witness and not permitted to cross examine anyone."

Your response: "Per McCarthy was "never permitted to question" Keynon, that is pure BS. McCarthy chose not to appear at the cross-examination of Keynon or to further his case because he knew he would face severe additional criticism and scorn."

My response: "McCarthy was not permitted cross examination of any witnesses, end of story. I welcome you to point me to anywhere in the Tydings transcript where he was given that opportunity, you won't find it. He was not a member of the Committee and was not granted privileges as such."

Your response: "It's BS to claim he was never "given that opportunity." You know it and everyone who reads this knows it. As the leading Red hunter, he could have easily requested the opportunity to question Keynon. He did not."

My response: On pages 256-257 Senator Hickenlooper suggests that McCarthy be permitted to question a witness. Tydings not only denies him this...A little later, Tydings spells out the hearing-long questioning ban for McCarthy.

Your response: "...[McCarthy] conveniently "forgot" about Keynon and never appeared at the cross examination. He ducked it.

My response in the last post was to note places in the Tydings hearings which confirmed my initial claim: McCarthy was not permitted to cross-examine any witnesses at the Tydings hearings as per Tydings and the Democratic majority on the Committee. Period.

Your response: "You, again, are missing the mark entirely as it relates to the one person we are discussing: Dorothy Keynon."

I have not missed the mark. McCarthy was not permitted to cross-examine Kenyon, or any other witness, therefore your claim that he "ducked" and "ran" is incorrect.

"That is pure BS. He had ample time to both present and submitt documentation or evidence for all 28 organizations. He did not have the "evidence" he claimed to possess. Period. He lied."

The transcripts tell a different story. I pointed you to the pages which backed my claims. McCarthy was constantly interrupted and badgered. His presentation on Kenyon, pages 32-72 contains several episodes in which Tydings interrupted McCarthy's presentation to argue with him about case #14 presented in front of the Senate. Its all there. There was not ample time, and either way, the evidence of the 28 groups was there, just as McCarthy said, although it would be Hickenlooper who made sure to question Kenyon about the remaining group memberships. Its all there in the transcripts, pages 188-208.

Troll eh? I'm not trying to dodge anything here, I just don't know what I'm looking for exactly. Specific articles would be helpful until I can get to a library that has back issues on microfilm. For now I am reserved to searching the internet databases of the two papers, and that search has yielded little.

"The issue is the fact that Moss' lawyer distributed a denial of McCarthy's charges and an attack against McCarthy prior to beginning of the Moss hearing. This gave the democrats the ammo they needed to begin questioning the validity of McCarthy's charges."

A denial was better ammo than the FBI briefing they had received? As I have noted, it was not only McCarthy's charges they were bucking, it was the FBI. The FBI was certain it was not mistaken identity. I have presented irrefutable evidence. The Markward testimony, the corroborating witnesses, the CP documents in the possession of the FBI and the FBI memo all point to a strong case. What do we have on your side? Denials by Moss and her lawyer, attacks on McCarthy and McCarthy "looking nervous." Not much to go on really. So let me get this straight, you're willing to take the lawyer of the accused over the evidence of the FBI? Over sworn testimony? And with nothing backing up the denial except a few attacks on McCarthy's character? You're going to have explain the reasoning on that one, cause I don't see it.

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[deleted]

Hmmm, you're changing your tune here.

I was and have been addressing your claim that McCarthy ducked and ran from questioning Kenyon, which you summed up here:

"Per McCarthy was "never permitted to question" Keynon, that is pure BS. McCarthy chose not to appear at the cross-examination of Keynon or to further his case because he knew he would face severe additional criticism and scorn."

I have answered and demonstrated that the claim is false. Your answer has been to change your position to this:

"Thus, unless you can show me where he defended himself against Keynon's stinging accusations and damaging statements regarding McCarthy and his flawed character, you have no evidence to support your contention that he did not duck any confrontation with Keynon."

Again, I have addressed and answered your previous claim. McCarthy was not permitted to cross-examine any witnesses during the Tydings hearings. Period. Therefore he ducked and ran from nothing during the hearings. In fact, it seems from reading Tydings remarks that if anything, the Committee majority ran from McCarthy in terms of him being permitted to cross examine witnesses.

Now, if you would like me to find some press release where McCarthy says,"Dorothy Kenyon is wrong about me," in reference to any claims she may have made concerning his character, I shall. You should note, that it was normal for witnesses (mainly what we shall call hostile witnesses) to make such claims about McCarthy, the Committee and the investigations. I do not see what bearing this has. What does it matter what Kenyon says about her accuser? McCarthy was interested in evidence, and making claims about one's accuser is not evidence. Should McCarthy have answered every witness who ever called him a liar and his investigations a sham? Should he have made sure the press published these rebuttals? Personally, I don't think it matters.

"This has absolutely no significance or bearing or impact whatsoever with respect to submitting evidence."

Alright, maybe you're right, but as you can note on pages 188-208 Senator Hickenlooper, in his questioning of Kenyon, addresses the groups McCarthy didn't get too in his presentation. And as you will note on pages 36-72, McCarthy tried to stay on track but Tydings constantly changed the subject.

"He did not have evidence to support all his accusations or claims against Keynon."

I think he did, and beyond that, there were additional group memberships that could have been cited (running the total to about 31 I believe).

"...the democrats may have been influenced by Moss' answers and her attorney's statement released before the hearing..."

Great, what evidence? I have heard nothing referred to in Moss's defense aside from this denial by her lawyer. Where is the evidence? And again I ask, was the denial better than the solid case the FBI had prepared?

I take Ritchie with a grain of salt. Consider this:

"Her case contrasts with that of another African American woman, Doris Walters Powell, whom McCarthy erroneously pegged as a communist, drove from her government job, and crowed about to the press, but never brought to a public hearing."

This is a complete misrepresentation. Powell's testimony can be found here:

http://www.gpo.gov/congress/senate/mccarthy/83870.pdf

He did not erroneously peg her as anything. There was sworn testimony to the effect, as well as her admittance it during her testimony. McCarthy did not drive her from her job, the Army suspended her when she took the Fifth before the Committee, and the press coverage is addressed in the hearings as well. Ritchie has completely misrepresented this and other situations to prove his prejudices about McCarthy.

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[deleted]

I have already demonstrated that McCarthy was not permitted to cross examine any witnesses during the Tydings hearings. At no point did I claim he was barred from the proceedings.

Your initial claim was that McCarthy ducked confronting Kenyon by passing on cross examination: "But you won't find McCarthy in the testimony conducting the all-important cross-examination. He ducked that confrontation and left it up to Hickenlooper..."

And then again: "Per ducking the cross-examination, it speaks for itself. Per McCarthy was "never permitted to question" Keynon, that is pure BS. McCarthy chose not to appear at the cross-examination of Keynon or to further his case because he knew he would face severe additional criticism and scorn."

"That is why he chose to duck the cross-examination. No one "prevented him"; he chose to run away from a confrontation with Keynon."

And Again: "It's BS to claim he was never "given that opportunity." You know it and everyone who reads this knows it. As the leading Red hunter, he could have easily requested the opportunity to question Keynon. He did not."

And on and on. You are wrong in this respect. McCarthy ducked no confrontation with Kenyon at the hearings. And one other things, let me see if I have this straight. You are saying that since McCarthy did not answer Kenyon's claims about his character, they must be true? That is the sorriest logic I have ever heard. Its a fact that many many witnesses made similar claims about McCarthy's character and the nature of the investigations, there were many who were probably more high profile than Kenyon. McCarthy did not answer these "claims" either, are they all true?

Interestingly enough, McCarthy does address this subject during the questioning of Mrs. Powell. While her attorney was complaining about the Press's coverage of Powell, McCarthy notes that he does not respond to everything said about him that he doesn't like, further adding that if he spent all his time dealing with such claims nothing would ever be accomplished. That makes far more sense as the reason McCarthy did not address Kenyon's claims.

And I highly doubt McCarthy's political life was at stake or even damaged by what Kenyon said about him or however the press reacted. This was just the beginning of his political career. It sure doesn't seem like it was wrecked when he was made chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

I have already demonstrated that the Hickenlooper cross-examination covers the groups McCarthy did not. And there were other groups, more then the "embellished" 28 from McCarthy. And yes, McCarthy was aware that Kenyon resigned once the Attorney General made the designation, that wasn't the point. McCarthy notes on page 39 of the Tydings hearings that participation in even one front group, in any way shape or form, regardless of when the designation is made is grounds for investigation. This is why McCarthy referred to Kenyon as a "security-risk" and why Kenyon was questioned as to the State Department's actions in regards to these memberships. This point is echoed several times throughout the hearings, for some reason Tydings, and future historians have ignored this.

As far as Ritchie's claims, what does it matter that Powell was never called to a public hearing? McCarthy was not investigating Powell, she was a witness in a larger investigation. And I'll state again, McCarthy did not erroneously peg Powell as anything, nor did he drive her from her job. You are only noting the first time Mrs. Powell appeared before McCarthy. A little further down, page 1672 to be exact, Mrs. Powell again appears before the Subcommittee. Here she takes the Fifth as to the Communist membership she was skirting around in the section you referred to. This probably had a little more to do with her firing. And as you should note, there was sworn testimony that Powell did indeed take those files.

Furthermore, whatever point Ritchie is trying to make with non-pressing of perjury charges really makes no sense. While Venona may prove the guilt of the witnesses, how was McCarthy supposed to know, he did not have access to the Venona files? And besides that, McCarthy sent many perjury cases to the Justice Department, they were rarely acted upon. Perhaps it would avail Mr. Ritchie to read the Army Signal Corps transcripts again. As far as the issue with Coleman, there was far more too it than just a carpool ride. Mr. Ritchie is blatantly belittling the investigation by making it look as if it was a quarrel over matters as trivial as who rode in a car with whom.

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[deleted]

"We know that he wasn't allowed to cross examine anyone during Tydings. You keep bringing up a completely irrelevant, dead point. My earlier statements..."

If we all know it, then why did you deny it?

"He could have attended the hearings and challenged her accusations and charges against him."

This also is incorrect. McCarthy was a witness in front of the Committee and not a member, he answered when called upon, and in the case of Kenyon, he gave his information and she responded. McCarthy was not permitted to cross examine her, or respond in kind to her appearance.

Again, I call upon your poorly reasoned argument that somehow, since he did not address a claim she made, it was true. I cited McCarthy's reasoning for not responding to all the attacks against him, have you no response other than to stick by the above?

"I am not "wrong" in any respect. He was allowed to speak freely. His liberties were not taken away from him. What BS you're peddling."

Alright, prove it. I have linked you to the Tydings hearings, and you claim to have read them "cover to cover," put up. Show me the evidence that backs your claims.

"Keynon was the beginning of the end for McCarthy... a bumpy, downhill road after he failed to defend himself from her damaging charges of embellishing and lying. The general public began to question his integrity and honesty, and his character."

The beginning of the end eh? How did you arrive at that conclusion? Seems his political career was hardly damaged by anything Kenyon said, as he would go on to lead one of the most powerful Subcommittees. Additionally, remind me again what happened to Tydings after these hearings? How did his political career fair?

I pointed you to the pages in which Hickenlooper questioned Kenyon. Do I need to copy and paste the whole 20 pages here?

"Had the press covered the hearing, there is a chance she would have not lost her job."

Says who? The Army had a policy of firing or suspending employees who took the Fifth concerning CP membership or activities.

"And there was a denial by Powell."

Yeah, try that in any court. Again, the denial of the accused alone is not enough to clear anyone. Where is the evidence? There was sworn testimony from several witnesses, and then the dancing around the issue before later taking the Fifth by Powell. If the accusations were not true, she should have stuck by her denials instead of deciding to take the Fifth.

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[deleted]

I can't believe that you two stubborn idiots have been beating this issue to death for almost TWO YEARS!!! Why don't you both agree to disagree, and then move on? You CAN'T resolve your differences, you're polarized!

"You want the truth? You can't HANDLE the truth!" Jack Nicholson, "A Few Good Men."

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[deleted]

Hey, pal, THIS is not going to lead to a two year stand-off, is it? I'll take cyanide before THAT happens!! It's MY resume, I can put ANYTHING on it that I want! Produced, un-produced. Look, there are such things as has-beens, and never-wasses. I fall into the latter category. What's YOUR story?

"You want the truth? You can't HANDLE the truth!" Jack Nicholson, "A Few Good Men."

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[deleted]

Promise?

"You want the truth? You can't HANDLE the truth!" Jack Nicholson, "A Few Good Men."

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[deleted]

How can someone as clearly crazy as you, even spell the word normal?*

Still waiting to hear your thoughts on the film Good Night And Good Luck.

That's the film the thread and message board's devoted to....

Reading your comments reminds of a Bill Hicks routine.

"Hey there!! We're your new Christian, Pro Life Parents!!!!

Arrrrrrghhhhhhhhhh!!

There's the rifle There's the tower

There's the rifle There's the tower

Bang!!

They told me My penis made Me a Bad Boy!!

Bang!!

Pro Life!! Yeah, Filled with Life.

You're so Pro Life.... Go Blockade cemeteries"

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[deleted]

For me, the funniest moment in the film is when these Pinko's are reading praise from the New York Times and other newspapers, then one paper gives a poor review from someone named O'Brien and they are all demoralized. Wake up guys! They heap nothing but scorn and insult with the full might of the media against McCarthy, one man who dared stand up to Communism, yet they can't even take a little criticism back? Typical.

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They won't ever understand, its obvious they are bias....I wonder why. Just know there are plenty more who agree with you bbagnall. Just search the web, tons of forums.


"Get off my plane!!!"
- President Harrison Ford Air Force One

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[deleted]

Moss was a part of the Murrow-McCarthy fight, and that's why it's in the movie. The movie never suggests Moss wasn't a communist. The issue Murrow took with the incident is the same one taken by John McClellan (an extremely conservative Senator from Arkansas), namely that she was being dragged forth in public, accused, and, in effect, convicted by the committee in what amounted to a Star Chamber proceeding. And that's what the movie documents.

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This post is total BS. The film is not based on a lie. As portrayed in the film at least, the objection to McCarthy put forward by Murrow and Friendly was not his effort to expose communists per se, but the methods he used, which was to subvert due process. The two examples dramatized in the film were those of the Air Force member Radulovich and Mrs. Moss. What was objected to is that they were denounced in public without benefit of due process. Radulovich was thrown out of the Air Force as a threat to national security on the basis of allegedly damning evidence contained a closed folder, to which the affected person, nor his attorney, nor anyone else was allowed access. The criticism presented with regard to Moss was that she was denounced before the Senate as a communist on the basis of witness testimony when the witness was not presented or made available. It is presumed as a basic tenet of due process that persons rights not be determined on the basis of secret testimony, as is evidenced by the guaranteed in the 6th Amendment that persons "be confronted with the witnesses against him". Well, Moss WAS a communist is the retort, so McCarthy is vindicated. Not so! Whether Moss was actually a communist or not was not the issue, but whether McCarthy used improper methods to expose her. I am sure I and others who take this position will be accused of "wanting to give rights to communists" (just as the same accusation is made against those who agree with the Supreme Court's recent ruling that persons in Guantanamo are entitled to demand that their detention be justified on the basis of evidence before a court). I am not arguing for rights FOR COMMUNISTS or FOR TERRORISTS, I am arguing for rights for all of us. The designation of someone as X (when X is a category of social condemnation or criminality) must be based on evidence, or you cannot reliably say that such person is an X (communist, terrorist or what have you). One of the dangers that due process is meant to guard against is the abuse of power by the state - to harm persons interests in some way or imprison them based on undisclosed evidence (which we all know can mean NO evidence, and that the harm can be visited upon them for improper reasons). Sure those who want to abuse power can always say, Mr. Q was a communist or that some of the people on Guantanamo are terrorists. Undoubtedly true. But the fact that the abuse of power is employed to catch some people who should be caught shields that fact that it is used improperly to catch people who are innocent of such charges. If once we strike the bargain with the state that it can abuse its power by dispensing with due process as it sees fit, then we give up due process and allow the state leeway to do what it wants. If that doesn't bother you, it certainly scares the hell out of me.

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GO SMUG CLOONEY!!!

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Just to quote from the film, when they are discussing the preparation of this particular program, Fred Friendly says the following:

"Now what is the show? Is it defending Annie Lee Moss as not being a communist, or is it her constitutional rights? I think we're much better off sticking with constitutional issues."

This makes it entirely clear that they were focusing on the fact that in making the accusation against her, they violated her constitutional rights. There was never any claim that she had not been a communist. So the suggestion that the film is based on a lie is simply not the case.

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I read the Salon article that's linked to up above. Nowhere in it does Clooney admit that "he knew Annie Lee Moss was a Communist working in a sensitive government position."
Anyone watching her testimony (which is shown in the movie) can tell that the woman didn't have a clue as to why she had been called before the committee.

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[deleted]

Oi you people. Mark-1589: You obviously do not know your history. Milo Radulovich was an Air Force case, he was never called before McCarthy's subcommittee. Yet Clooney slyly implies that he was in what seems to be an effort to destroy McCarthy.

Can any one of you explain how McCarthy's methods were improper?

He called Annie Lee Moss before his subcommittee on the testimony of Mary Markward. Mrs. Markward was a housewife who had gone undercover for the FBI and infiltrated the Baltimore area Communist Party. In fact, Mrs. Markward actually reached the position of official record keeper for the Baltimore area CP. Mrs. Markward present documents to the FBI proving that Annie Lee Moss was a covert CP agent who "somehow" had been transferred from Cafeteria worker, to Code Clerk in the Pentagon.

McCarthy was investigating the "somehow." For if Mrs. Moss was really as dumb as portrayed by Murrow on TV, how in the world could she have handled a very complicated job like working in the Code Room? Cohn and McCarthy discuss the requirements from the Pentagon for all their Code Clerks, which are quite stringent. In any event, based on the sworn testimony of Mrs. Markward, and the documents she stole from the Baltimore CP, McCarthy saw fit to call her before his subcommittee. His main aim was to discover how a cafeteria worker who had been named as a Communist could be then promoted to a sensitive job in the Pentagon.

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[deleted]

Can any one of you explain how McCarthy's methods were improper?
I can't. But this fellow, and the people he's interviewed, sure can. And it gets to the crux on the major issue of McCarthy's "methods" and how he actually hurt the counterintelligence efforts of others. It's pretty damaging info:

By: Ronald Kessler
A dangerous movement has been growing among conservative writers to vindicate the late Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy and his campaign to expose Soviet spies in the U.S. government.

The FBI agents who were actually chasing those spies have told me that McCarthy hurt their efforts because he trumped up charges, unfairly besmirched honorable Americans, and gave hunting spies a bad name.

To be sure, intercepts of secret Soviet communications that were part of the VENONA program eventually revealed that Soviet espionage operatives in the government numbered in the hundreds—far more than was thought in the 1950s. In that sense, McCarthy was right, but so were dozens of other anti-Communists of the time like FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

The problem was that the people McCarthy tarnished as Communists or Communist sympathizers were not the real spies. Often, the information McCarthy used came from FBI files, which were full of rumor and third-hand accounts.

Several months before he died, I interviewed Robert J. Lamphere who participated in all the FBI’s major spy cases during the McCarthy period. Beginning in 1948, Lamphere also was the FBI liaison to the U.S. Army’s Signal Intelligence Service’s VENONA program and used leads from the intercepts to work cases involving Klaus Fuchs, Harry Gold, David Greenglass, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, and Kim Philby.

For my book “The Bureau: The Secret History of the FBI,” Lamphere told me that agents who worked counterintelligence were aghast that Hoover initially supported McCarthy.

“McCarthyism did all kinds of harm because he was pushing something that wasn’t so,” Lamphere told me. The VENONA intercepts showed that over several decades, “There were a lot of spies in the government, but not all in the State Department,” Lamphere said. However, “The problem was that McCarthy lied about his information and figures. He made charges against people that weren’t true. McCarthyism harmed the counterintelligence effort against the Soviet threat because of the revulsion it caused. All along, Hoover was helping him.”

The McCarthy era began on February 9, 1950 when the obscure Republican senator from Wisconsin gave a speech to 275 members of the local Republican women’s club at the McClure Hotel in Wheeling, West Virginia.

“While I cannot take the time to name all the men in the State Department who have been named as members of the Communist Party and members of a spy ring, I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were known to the secretary of State and who, nevertheless, are still working and shaping policy of the State Department,” McCarthy said, holding up a scrap of paper.

By the time McCarthy got to Salt Lake City, another stop on his speech itinerary, McCarthy—an alcoholic—could not remember the number he had cited. He told his audience there that the number of Communists was 57.

The conservative Chicago Tribune had been running a series on the Communist threat. The day after McCarthy’s speech in West Virginia, Willard Edwards, the author of the articles, urgently asked Walter Trohan, the paper’s Washington bureau chief, to come speak with him in Edward’s office at the Albee Building at 15th and G Streets NW in Washington.

Trohan related to me that Edwards then confided to him that just before McCarthy delivered his speech, he asked Edwards about the number of Communists in the State Department. Edwards said he gave McCarthy the figure of 205. Now he realized his mistake.

“Edwards said it was more or less a rumor. It was just a piece of gossip,” Trohan said. “Edwards was afraid that McCarthy was going to blame him for it.”

As for McCarthy, besides being an alcoholic, the senator was “crazy about girls about eighteen,” Trohan said. “I always thought if the Commies wanted to get him, all they had to do was supply him with a girl.”

“Joe McCarthy was into the booze,” Roy L. Elson, the administrative assistant to the powerful Senator Carl T. Hayden, told me. “He was a sad case.”

Bogus figures or not, McCarthy soon became a national figure. Returning from his tour, McCarthy called his friend Hoover and told him his speech was getting a lot of attention, according to a memo Hoover wrote after the call. There was only one problem: McCarthy said he had “made up the numbers as he talked.”

In the future, Hoover advised him, he should not give specific numbers. McCarthy asked if the FBI would give him information to back up his charges.

“Review the files and get anything you can for him” was Hoover’s order.

“We didn’t have enough evidence to show there was a single Communist in the State Department, let alone 57 cases,” said William Sullivan, who became the number three man in the bureau. Nevertheless, FBI agents spent hundreds of hours reading files and making abstracts for McCarthy.

Lou Nichols, who headed FBI public relations, cautioned McCarthy not to use the phrase “card-carrying Communists” because that could not be proven. Instead, he should refer to “Communist sympathizers” or “loyalty risks.”

The phrases were as fuzzy as Hoover’s files. While Hoover built a great organization, he confused political beliefs that were critical of the government with violations of criminal law. Using material from the FBI, McCarthy instilled fear in anyone who might have looked at a Communist.

It’s true that McCarthy’s witch-hunts have been confused with those of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Because of pressure from HUAC investigations, Hollywood studios blacklisted playwright Lillian Hellman because her lover, mystery-writer Dashiell Hammett, was one. John Melby, a State Department officer with impeccable anti-Communist credentials, was fired for having had an affair with her.

But as chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, McCarthy’s approach was similar. Having studied the transcripts of McCarthy’s hearings, Donald A. Ritchie, associate historian of the Senate, has pinpointed his tactics. Typically, McCarthy held hearings in executive session first.

“The executive sessions were like a dress rehearsal,” Ritchie tells me. “For the most part, he didn’t really have hard evidence against the people that he was interrogating, so he was hoping just to get them to contradict themselves or to take the Fifth Amendment, or to confess. And he would badger them in these closed sessions and winnow out the ones he wanted to testify in public. He interviewed about 500 people in closed session; he called about 300 people to public session.”

In the meantime, “After they’d testified in closed session, he’d go out in the hall, and he’d tell the waiting press what had just happened,” Ritchie says. “We looked at both the New York Times’ and the Chicago Tribune’s accounts and then we compared that to what actually went on inside the hearings. What he told the press grossly exaggerated what took place when compared to the transcripts.”

While McCarthy said he would protect the names of witnesses, their names were leaked to the press, Ritchie says. Only half a dozen of the witnesses turned up in the VENONA intercepts, all minor figures in McCarthy’s investigations, he notes.

In the end, says Ritchie, “Not one of the 500 witnesses went to jail for perjury or contempt of Congress, whereas a lot of people who testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee and the Senate Internal Security subcommittee were investigated, prosecuted and convicted, and served jail time. Yet McCarthy was constantly accusing people of having committed perjury and urging the Justice Department to prosecute them.”

McCarthy eventually made the mistake of turning his sights on President Dwight D. Eisenhower. A former Army general who had led allied forces to victory during World War II, Eisenhower was as American as apple pie.

As McCarthy began accusing Eisenhower of being soft on Communists, Hoover realized he would have to distance himself from the senator. Just before what became known as the Army-McCarthy hearings started on April 22, 1954, Hoover ordered the bureau to cease helping him. That would contribute to the senator’s downfall.

During the hearings, McCarthy failed to substantiate his claims that the Communists had penetrated the Army, which had hired a shrewd Boston lawyer, Joseph Welch, to represent it. McCarthy noted that Fred Fischer, a young lawyer in Welch’s firm, had been a member while at Harvard Law School of the National Lawyers Guild, described by the attorney general as the “legal mouthpiece of the Communist Party.” Supreme Court Justice Arthur J. Goldberg had also been a member of the group.

Upon hearing this accusation, Welch responded, “Until this moment, senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or recklessness.” When McCarthy continued to hound Fischer, Welch said, “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”

After two months, the hearings were over, and so was McCarthy’s career. Watching the hearings on television, millions of Americans had seen how he bullied witnesses and what an unsavory character he was. Behind the scenes, Eisenhower pushed fellow Republicans to censure McCarthy.

In August 1954, a Senate committee was formed to investigate the senator. On September 27, the committee issued a unanimous report calling McCarthy’s behavior as a committee chairman “inexcusable,” “reprehensible,” and “vulgar and insulting.”

On December 2, 1954, the Senate voted 67 to 22 to censure him. After that, when he rose to speak, senators left the Senate chamber. Reporters no longer attended his press conferences. On May 2, 1957, McCarthy died at the age of forty-eight of acute hepatitis, widely believed to be a result of his alcoholism, a point generally overlooked by the revisionists.

As chief of Justice Department spy prosecutions for nearly 25 years, John L. Martin prosecuted 76 spies, including CIA officers Aldrich Ames and Harold J. Nicholson, Navy warrant officer John A. Walker Jr., and Israeli spy Jonathan Jay Pollard.

With his unlimited clearances, Martin read many of the FBI’s most secret raw files on historic espionage cases, including the files on Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Judith Coplon, Alger Hiss, and Rudolph Abel. No one knows as much about catching spies and the legal ramifications that go with it than Martin.

“While VENONA later confirmed and expanded upon what the FBI knew about Soviet operations in the U.S., McCarthy was acting on suspicions and myths rather than adequate investigations,” Martin tells me.

McCarthy used “the umbrella of national security to justify his outrageous practice of besmirching reputations of loyal Americans,” Martin adds.

Efforts to vindicate McCarthy by people who have never caught a spy ignore the fact that rather than helping the cause of dealing with the spy threat, he harmed it.

By sanctioning McCarthy’s intimidating tactics and dishonest charges against innocent Americans, revisionists dangerously invite history to be repeated, imperiling all of us.


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"The FBI agents who were actually chasing those spies have told me that McCarthy hurt their efforts because he trumped up charges, unfairly besmirched honorable Americans, and gave hunting spies a bad name."

Sure, this may be true, in so much as agents thought McCarthy was stealing their thunder and glory. But the fact remains, the FBI could not arrest anyone they suspected, they couldn't even arrest people they caught in the act of espionage (see the Amerasia case)! The FBI, and director Hoover, were tired of being ignored. The fact further remains that there were folks in gov't protecting people the FBI targeted (again, see Amerasia).

"In that sense, McCarthy was right, but so were dozens of other anti-Communists of the time like FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover."

Yes they were, and there is evidence that McCarthy was being fed leads by the FBI.

"The problem was that the people McCarthy tarnished as Communists or Communist sympathizers were not the real spies. Often, the information McCarthy used came from FBI files, which were full of rumor and third-hand accounts."

This is nonsense. Show me the proof. Reading the Executive sessions of McCarthy's hearings reveals much of where their leads and information came from. Any other evidence McCarthy had was cross checked via testimony. McCarthy always gave the accused an opportunity to deny the charges against them. Time and time again, people declined, then proceeded to plead the Fifth when questioned in detail about the evidence against them. These people were clearly guilty! How can you not see this?

"For my book “The Bureau: The Secret History of the FBI,” Lamphere told me that agents who worked counterintelligence were aghast that Hoover initially supported McCarthy: "The VENONA intercepts showed that over several decades, “There were a lot of spies in the government, but not all in the State Department,” Lamphere said."

The book the Bureau, is one I happen to own and have read (unfortunately). And Kessler wants to accuse McCarthy of accepting lies and rumors! That book was full or regurgitated nonsense (typical Leftist lies about the FBI). The rest of the comments you from Kessler that you posted BerkSol again, are full of the regurgitated narrative about McCarthy that we have been hearing for years. It is a lie. Kessler has nothing new to add, he is simple parroting the McCarthy story others have built, lie upon lie.

If you have any real evidence to back these claims, present them. Otherwise, please do not spout nonsense.

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This is nonsense. Show me the proof.

If you have any real evidence to back these claims, present them. Otherwise, please do not spout nonsense.
OK. I'm addressing a troll. For the last time. First, you are an absolute idiot to use that tone to anyone. Second, I guess that's how a troll behaves, especially when confronted with information from professionals who were there at the time and know a thing or two about McCarthy. Do I have any real evidence? Perhaps you should take this up with Mr. Kessler, who has mountains of research and personal interviews, especially the "FBI agents who were chasing spies." What books or research do you have to support your side of this issue? Are you an author on the subject? Or simply one of the blowhards on this board that profess to know everything there is to know about McCarthy and becomes rather squeemish and angry when confronted with information that dares to paint McCarthy as a person who lied about the truth. And what shall I make of this response that completely ignored my point:
Sure, this may be true, in so much as agents thought McCarthy was stealing their thunder and glory. But the fact remains, the FBI could not arrest anyone they suspected, they couldn't even arrest people they caught in the act of espionage (see the Amerasia case)! The FBI, and director Hoover, were tired of being ignored. The fact further remains that there were folks in gov't protecting people the FBI targeted (again, see Amerasia).
What in God's name does that have to do with this:
"The FBI agents who were actually chasing those spies have told me that McCarthy hurt their efforts because he trumped up charges, unfairly besmirched honorable Americans, and gave hunting spies a bad name."
Your response is laughable in its failed attempt to negate the valued opinions of FBI experts.

Now should I go with the FBI experts who actually investigated similar cases and knew McCarthy? Or with the incoherent ramblings of some IMDB troll miscreant?

Tough decision? Nah.

Bye bye, creep.

Update: Congrats... you're the first troll to be placed on my Ignore List

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I'm not exactly sure what a troll is amigo, and feel free to ignore me.

To sum up your last post, your sticking by Mr. Kesslers claims and you have nothing further to back up your opinions about McCarthy.

Well reasoned indeed BerkSol.

As I noted above, Mr. Kessler is wrong about McCarthy. He has no mountain of evidence. He is parroting the traditional McCarthy narrative.

"What books or research do you have to support your side of this issue?"

I have copies of the transcripts of McCarthy's hearings, I can link you to them and also provide page numbers from the various hearings if you like.

" "The FBI agents who were actually chasing those spies have told me that McCarthy hurt their efforts because he trumped up charges, unfairly besmirched honorable Americans, and gave hunting spies a bad name."

Your response is laughable in its failed attempt to negate the valued opinions of FBI experts."

That's funny, because McCarthy notes, time and time again, that the FBI was aiding him because the FBI didn't feel it was being taken seriously in its investigations. Let us not forget that the FBI had it's Amerasia case torpedoed by the Justice Department. They also arrested Judith Coplon in the act of espionage and couldn't make it stick. Hoover and many at the the FBI were glad to help McCarthy because they felt he could actually get things done.

And on an intellectual note, it is very sad to see someone ignore an adverse opinion simply because they tear down your argument. Equally pathetic is that your McCarthy "opinion" is based on one source! Everyone else reading this thread please take note: this is how McCarthy-haters act, this is how they have always acted.

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I'm not exactly sure what a troll is amigo, and feel free to ignore me.
I love the "amigo," red. You're off "ignore," troll. And you know what a troll is, red. Since you're the only sock puppet left, let's have some fun.
I have copies of the transcripts of McCarthy's hearings, I can link you to them and also provide page numbers from the various hearings if you like.
Great. Look up Dorothy Keynon for starters. I have the transcript in front of me.
Equally pathetic is that your McCarthy "opinion" is based on one source!
LMAO, red. You know me better than that. Now let's get down to Keynon and this idiotic statement you made in response to my posting a statement written by Kessler in another post...
"The problem was that the people McCarthy tarnished as Communists or Communist sympathizers were not the real spies. Often, the information McCarthy used came from FBI files, which were full of rumor and third-hand accounts." - Kessler

"This is nonsense. Show me the proof." - kwarden09
Oh, red. Say it ain't so. You make this too, too easy. McCarthy received all of his background information on Keynon from where? Care to guess?

The F B I.

Now read in the testimony where McCarthy attacks Dorothy Keynon, calling her a major policymaker in the State Department and a member of 28 communist front groups.

Big problem for Joe: the F B I didn't have the names of 28 communist groups. McCarthy embellished it. And when it came time for McCarthy to deliver the names, guess what? Seems the F B I was kinda lax, that is careless or negligent, in double checking its sources.

Question: Did bozo provide the evidence or names of all the 28 groups Keynon belonged to?

Go ahead and guess...

Answer: No.

Let that sink into your rather shallow cranium, red.

Hear the sound of that crash? That's your "nonsense" statement crashing to bits... yet again.

Also FYI: as "redstate" you love to use and reuse the "nonsense" tag as a line of defense...
"So no one is going to pretend they believe his nonsense." - redstate

"This is nonsense. Show me the proof." - kwarden09
LMAO. It's rather funny and pathetic, red.

Back to McCarthy: he was rather "loose" with facts regarding Keynon.

Was Keynon a "major player" in the State Department?

Was she?

Nope. Not even close. Turns out Keynon had only been a delegate to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. Not what anyone in his right mind would call a "major player."

And, no, she had not been a "member" of 28 communist front groups, but had lent her name to some organizations before they were put on a list of communist-leaning groups, save for one organization, of which two U.S. Senators also belonged to. Joe forgot to mention that as soon as these clubs or organizations were designated as communist-leaning, Keynon resigned from them. A rather important point to overlook. Not for the idiot McCarthy.

But I already posted these facts over a year ago and buried your retarded statements, so this is old news to you, red.

Hey, remember how Kenyon stood up to Tail Gunner Joe's bully-boy tactics. She admonished him, his retarded associates and his embellished lies to the point where he left the questioning to others.

Um, you can read it in the transcript.

LMAO

Well... at least Keynon was one lady who was not a communist sympathizer that he ran from. The other, Moss, it seems was a communist sympathizer. And we all know what happened to Moss after McCarthy ran from her... she was reinstated in her old job with access to sensitive information. What a bonehead.

Yup, Kessler wins... and rather easily...
"Efforts to vindicate McCarthy by people who have never caught a spy ignore the fact that rather than helping the cause of dealing with the spy threat, he harmed it."

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Three years later and still...


* * * C R I C K E T S * * *

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kwarden09 wrote: "Oi you people. Mark-1589: You obviously do not know your history. Milo Radulovich was an Air Force case, he was never called before McCarthy's subcommittee. Yet Clooney slyly implies that he was in what seems to be an effort to destroy McCarthy."

Yes, jackass, I do know my history, which, by the way, involves understanding the broad sweep of historical events, not a bunch of trivia about particular cases. Further, I never suggested (nor did the film) that Milo Radulovich was called before McCarthy's subcommittee.

Clooney did not have to destroy McCarthy - that had already been done in the 1950s.

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