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In a six hour speech on the Senate floor on February 20, 1950, McCarthy raised the issue of some eighty individuals who had worked in the [[State Department]], or wartime agencies such as the [[Office of War Information]] (OWI) and the [[Board of Economic Warfare]] (BEW).  

In a six hour speech on the Senate floor on February 20, 1950, McCarthy raised the issue of some eighty individuals who had worked in the [[State Department]], or wartime agencies such as the [[Office of War Information]] (OWI) and the [[Board of Economic Warfare]] (BEW).  

McCarthy characterized President Truman and the Democratic party as soft on or even in league with the Communists.

McCarthy sought to characterize President Truman and the Democratic party as soft on or even in league with the Communists.  McCarthy's allegations fell flat with Truman who was unaware of [[Venona project]] decrypts which corroborated [[Elizabeth Bentley]]'s debriefing after her defection from the Communists.  While innocent persons may have been abused, many of the truely guilty walked away free under the cloak of "McCarthyism".

==Criticism of McCarthy's methods==

==Criticism of McCarthy's methods==

Liberals criticize McCarthy for abusing his legislative investigatory powers to perform quasi-executive and judicial functions.  McCarthy's Committee, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) only had jurisdictional authority to investigate United States Government (USG) Departments, Agencies, or contractors doing business with the USG. From the evidence it appears the FBI under Hoover fed McCarthy primarily dead end files of persons and associates to prime suspects in espionage cases in hopes of gaining some leverage or further information to prosecute known suspects without revealing secret Venona evidence.

McCarthy has been widely criticized for abusing his legislative investigatory powers to perform quasi-executive and judicial functions.  McCarthy's Committee, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) only had jurisdictional authority to investigate United States Government (USG) Departments, Agencies, or contractors doing business with the USG. From the evidence it appears the FBI under Hoover fed McCarthy primarily dead end files of persons and associates to prime suspects in espionage cases in hopes of gaining some leverage or further information to prosecute known suspects without revealing secret Venona evidence.

McCarthy made charges of Communist infiltration of the State Department, the administration of [[Harry Truman|President Truman]], [[Voice of America]], and a United States Army research laboratory.  In 1953 McCarthy claimed that employees at Voice of America, were engaging in deliberate sabotage, selecting sites for transmitters that would make it easier for the Soviets to jam signals. Attention was also focused on the content of VOA broadcasts, which in Truman’s time had a policy of “balanced presentation” that did not exclude communist writings. VOA overseas libraries were scrutinized, and among the several hundred books that ended up being purged from the libraries at the urging of McCarthy’s staff were works by Dashiell Hammett, Lillian Hellman, [[Jean Paul Sartre]], and Theodore H. White.

McCarthy made charges of Communist infiltration of the State Department, the administration of [[Harry Truman|President Truman]], [[Voice of America]], and a United States Army research laboratory.  In 1953 McCarthy claimed that employees at Voice of America, were engaging in deliberate sabotage, selecting sites for transmitters that would make it easier for the Soviets to jam signals. Attention was also focused on the content of VOA broadcasts, which in Truman’s time had a policy of “balanced presentation” that did not exclude communist writings. VOA overseas libraries were scrutinized, and among the several hundred books that ended up being purged from the libraries at the urging of McCarthy’s staff were works by Dashiell Hammett, Lillian Hellman, [[Jean Paul Sartre]], and Theodore H. White.

The Army averred that no documents were missing and its own investigation had found no evidence of a spy ring, maintaining that what the defecting scientist had seen had probably been Signal Corp data that had been shared with the Russians during the War under Lend Lease. Still, the investigation went on. When electrical engineer Carl Greenblum broke down and wept during Roy Cohn’s cross-examination and had to be led, visibly upset, from the closed door session, McCarthy announced to the press that “I have just received word that the witness admits he was lying the first time and now wants to tell the truth.” Greenblum’s name was leaked to the press and he and his family were harassed, a hammer and sickle painted on the door of their home. Greenblum explained that after he’d broken down he’d “sent word that I wanted to go back and tell my story from the beginning. That may have been interpreted to mean I was lying but that certainly was not the case.” Greenblum was fired from his job, but reinstated in 1958. <ref>”McCarthy Hearings, Volume 3, files.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/mccarthy/hearingsvol3.pdf."</ref>

The Army averred that no documents were missing and its own investigation had found no evidence of a spy ring, maintaining that what the defecting scientist had seen had probably been Signal Corp data that had been shared with the Russians during the War under Lend Lease. Still, the investigation went on. When electrical engineer Carl Greenblum broke down and wept during Roy Cohn’s cross-examination and had to be led, visibly upset, from the closed door session, McCarthy announced to the press that “I have just received word that the witness admits he was lying the first time and now wants to tell the truth.” Greenblum’s name was leaked to the press and he and his family were harassed, a hammer and sickle painted on the door of their home. Greenblum explained that after he’d broken down he’d “sent word that I wanted to go back and tell my story from the beginning. That may have been interpreted to mean I was lying but that certainly was not the case.” Greenblum was fired from his job, but reinstated in 1958. <ref>”McCarthy Hearings, Volume 3, files.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/mccarthy/hearingsvol3.pdf."</ref>

The fifteen hearings resulted in no indictments of any individuals, but established that Communists had worked at Fort Monmouth from 1941 to 1947 – something that the Army had failed in controlling -- and there had even been a small communist cell at one of their subcontractors in Nutley New Jersey. <ref> “McCarthy Hearings 1952-54, Vol 1.</ref>

The fifteen hearings resulted in no indictments of any individuals, and established only that a few Communists had worked at Fort Monmouth from 1941 to 1947 – something that was already known by the Army -- and there had been a small communist cell at one of their subcontractors in Nutley New Jersey. There was no substantive evidence to connect these groups or individuals to espionage. <ref> “McCarthy Hearings 1952-54, Vol 1.</ref>

He tried to expose government employees as CPUSA members and security risks. During Senate debate on the Communist Control Act of 1954, [[Senator Hubert Humphrey]] proposed making membership in the CPUSA a [[felony]]. <ref>McAuliff, Mary Sperling (1978). ''Crisis on the Left: Cold War Politics and American Liberals, 1947-1954''. University of Massachusetts Press, 142. ISBN 0-87023-241-X.</ref><ref>Art Preis, [http://www.marxists.org/history/etol/writers/preis/1954/xx/liberals.htm ''A Case of “Midsummer Madness”? Police-State Liberals''], From Fourth International, Vol.15 No.4, Fall 1954, pp.111-114. Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).</ref> If implemented this proposal would have resulted in the United States openly prosecuting individuals strictly for their political views.

He tried to expose government employees as CPUSA members and security risks. During Senate debate on the Communist Control Act of 1954, [[Senator Hubert Humphrey]] proposed making membership in the CPUSA a [[felony]]. <ref>McAuliff, Mary Sperling (1978). ''Crisis on the Left: Cold War Politics and American Liberals, 1947-1954''. University of Massachusetts Press, 142. ISBN 0-87023-241-X.</ref><ref>Art Preis, [http://www.marxists.org/history/etol/writers/preis/1954/xx/liberals.htm ''A Case of “Midsummer Madness”? Police-State Liberals''], From Fourth International, Vol.15 No.4, Fall 1954, pp.111-114. Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).</ref> If implemented this proposal would have resulted in the United States openly prosecuting individuals strictly for their political views.

==VENONA files==

==VENONA files==

In 1995, when the VENONA transcripts were declassified, further detailed information was revealed about Soviet espionage in the United States. Liberals stress that it is not good enough that McCarthy turned out to have accurate information, because they claim McCarthy had no access to VENONA intelligence at the time he made his claims. 83 persons plead the fifth amendment right against self incrimination in public hearings conducted by McCarthy. An additional 9 persons refused to testify on constitutional grounds in private hearings, and their names were not made public. Of the 83 persons pleading the fifth ammendment, several have been identified by [[NSA]] and [[FBI]] as agents of the Soviet Union in the [[Venona project]] involved in espionage. These are several prominent examples:

In 1995, when the VENONA transcripts were declassified, further detailed information was revealed about Soviet espionage in the United States. It is generally believed that McCarthy had no access to VENONA intelligence, and VENONA corroborates some of the individuals investigated by McCarthy were indeed Soviet agents.  VENONA specifically references at least 349 people in the United States&mdash;including citizens, immigrants, and permanent residents&mdash;who cooperated in various ways with Soviet intelligence agencies. 83 persons plead the fifth amendment right against self incrimination in public hearings conducted by McCarthy. An additional 9 persons refused to testify on constitutional grounds in private hearings, and their names were not made public. Of the 83 persons pleading the fifth ammendment, several have been identified by [[NSA]] and [[FBI]] as agents of the Soviet Union in the [[Venona project]] involved in espionage. These are several prominent examples:

* [[Mary Jane Keeney]], a United Nations employee, and her husband Philip Keeney, who worked in the [[Office of Strategic Services]];

* [[Mary Jane Keeney]], a United Nations employee, and her husband Philip Keeney, who worked in the [[Office of Strategic Services]];

Venona transcripts confirm the Senate Civil Liberties Subcommittee, chaired by former Senator Robert LaFollette, Jr., whom McCarthy defeated for election in 1946, had at least four staff members working on behalf of the [[KGB]].  Chief Councel of the Committee [[John Abt]]; [[Charles Kramer]], who served on three other Congressional Committees; Allen Rosenberg, who also served on the National Labor Relations Board, [[Board of Economic Warfare]] (BEW), the [[Foreign Economic Administration]] (FEA) and later argued cases before the United States Supreme Court; and [[Charles Flato]], who served on the BEW and FEA, all were [[CPUSA]] members and associated with the [[Comintern]].

Venona transcripts confirm the Senate Civil Liberties Subcommittee, chaired by former Senator Robert LaFollette, Jr., whom McCarthy defeated for election in 1946, had at least four staff members working on behalf of the [[KGB]].  Chief Councel of the Committee [[John Abt]]; [[Charles Kramer]], who served on three other Congressional Committees; Allen Rosenberg, who also served on the National Labor Relations Board, [[Board of Economic Warfare]] (BEW), the [[Foreign Economic Administration]] (FEA) and later argued cases before the United States Supreme Court; and [[Charles Flato]], who served on the BEW and FEA, all were [[CPUSA]] members and associated with the [[Comintern]].

The premise of Communists in the government was true, many of McCarthy's targets were not complicit in espionage.  Recent scholarship has established of 159 persons investigated between 1950 and 1952, there is substantial evidence nine had assisted Soviet espionage using evidence from Venona or other sources.  Of the remainder, while not being directly complicit in espionage, many were considered security risks.<ref>[http://www.johnearlhaynes.org/page62.html Senator Joseph McCarthy’s Lists and Venona]</ref>

While the underlying premise of Communists in the government was true, many of McCarthy's targets were not complicit in espionage.  Recent scholarship has established of 159 persons investigated between 1950 and 1952, there is substantial evidence nine had assisted Soviet espionage using evidence from Venona or other sources.  Of the remainder, while not being directly complicit in espionage, many were considered security risks.<ref>[http://www.johnearlhaynes.org/page62.html Senator Joseph McCarthy’s Lists and Venona]</ref>

== Support from Ann Coulter ==

== Support from Ann Coulter ==

Ann Coulter has argued that McCarthy was "a great American patriot [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/coulter100903.asp]", and debunks many anti-McCarthy claims in her book, Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism.

Ann Coulter has argued that McCarthy was "a great American patriot. [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/coulter100903.asp]"