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McCarthy was able to characterize President Truman and the Democratic party as soft on or even in league with the Communists. McCarthy's allegations were rejected by Truman who was unaware of [[Venona project]] decrypts which corroborated [[Elizabeth Bentley]]'s debriefing after her defection from the Communists.

McCarthy was able to characterize President Truman and the Democratic Party as soft on or even in league with the Communists. McCarthy's allegations were rejected by Truman who was unaware of [[Venona project]] decrypts which corroborated [[Elizabeth Bentley]]'s debriefing after her defection from the Communists.

McCarthy's support and popularity peaked in early 1954 when a January 1954 Gallup Poll showed that 50 percent of the respondents had a generally "favorable opinion" of him. McCarthy was also fourth on the list of the "most admired men".<ref>

McCarthy's support and popularity peaked in early 1954 when a January 1954 Gallup Poll showed that 50 percent of the respondents had a generally "favorable opinion" of him. McCarthy was also fourth on the list of the "most admired men".<ref>

Both Albert Bernstein and Sylvia Bernstein, Carl's mother, had both been Communists since the 1940's. Albert Bernstein was a Union activist, while Sylvia Bernstein was a secretary for the War Department in the 1930's and, during the [[Clinton Administration]], volunteered in the White House, answering letters that were addressed to [[Hillary Clinton]]. During the 1950's, Sylvia Bernstein invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid revealing her party ties to Congress but worked openly in assisting convicted spies [[Julius Rosenberg]] and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed in 1953 for espionage.

Both Albert Bernstein and Sylvia Bernstein, Carl's mother, had both been Communists since the 1940's. Albert Bernstein was a Union activist, while Sylvia Bernstein was a secretary for the War Department in the 1930's and, during the [[Clinton Administration]], volunteered in the White House, answering letters that were addressed to [[Hillary Clinton]]. During the 1950's, Sylvia Bernstein invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid revealing her party ties to Congress but worked openly in assisting convicted spies [[Julius Rosenberg]] and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed in 1953 for espionage.

==Venona and Soviet Files==

==Venona and Soviet Files==

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, documents from the [[KGB]] and [[Comintern]] Archives in [[Moscow]] became available to researchers and the public for the first time, corroborating the facts of McCarthy's undelying premise. In the United States, the [[Moynihan Secrecy Commission]] was empowered by statute to investigate and secure documents from the [[National Security Agency]] and the [[FBI]] which had remained classified for more than 40 years.  The Secrecy Commission's Final Report found that,

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, documents from the [[KGB]] and [[Comintern]] Archives in [[Moscow]] became available to researchers and the public for the first time, corroborating the facts of McCarthy's underlying premise. In the United States, the [[Moynihan Secrecy Commission]] was empowered by statute to investigate and secure documents from the [[National Security Agency]] and the [[FBI]] which had remained classified for more than 40 years.  The Secrecy Commission's Final Report found that,

{{Cquote|But for every accusation there was a denial. ... For all who could agree there were Communists in government, there were as many who saw the Government as contriving fantastic accusations against innocent persons. A balanced history of this period is now beginning to appear; the [[VENONA]] messages will surely supply a great cache of facts to bring the matter to some closure....

{{Cquote|But for every accusation there was a denial. ... For all who could agree there were Communists in government, there were as many who saw the Government as contriving fantastic accusations against innocent persons. A balanced history of this period is now beginning to appear; the [[VENONA]] messages will surely supply a great cache of facts to bring the matter to some closure....