Changes

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".

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==  

{{disputed section}}

{{disputed section}}  

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 has been widely criticized for his aggressive use of legislative investigatory powers to probe the Communist sympathies of various government officials. McCarthy made charges of Communist infiltration of the State Department, the administration of President Truman, Voice of America, and a United States Army research laboratory. The VOA hearings involved the content of broadcasts and transmitter difficulties, and found serious problems. Critics say that McCarthy did not prove deliberate sabotage. Critics also say that McCarthy only uncovered a few Communists in the United States Army Signal Corps Center at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. McCarthy also had a confrontation with Boston attorney Joseph Welch in televised hearings. Welch demanded that McCarthy name someone who had belonged to a Communist front organization, and then complained that it was indecent to do so.

McCarthy's support and popularity began to fade due to his lack of actual evidence and defendant convictions.  Later in 1954, a special Senate committee was appointed to study and evaluate McCarthy's methods and actions. The committee exonerated McCarthy on all substantive charges (citation needed). Following the recommendations of this committee, the full Senate voted to censure Senator McCarthy by a vote of 65 to 22 (the votes for censure included all the Democratic senators and about half the Republican senators) for failing to cooperate with the subcommittee that was investigating him, and for insults to the committee that was trying to censure him <ref>Senate Report 104-137 - Resolution For Disciplinary Action. Library of Congress (1995). Retrieved on 2006-10-19.</ref>, making him one of the few senators ever to be disciplined in this fashion. [http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/60.htm]  McCarthy died in Bethesda Naval Hospital on May 2, 1957, at the age of 48. The cause of his death was acute hepatitis from smoking and drinking.

 

McCarthy's support and popularity peaked in early 1954. CBS broadcast a TV documentary attacking McCarthy.  A special Senate committee was appointed to study and evaluate McCarthy's methods and actions. The committee exonerated McCarthy on all substantive charges (citation needed). Following the recommendations of this committee, the full Senate voted to censure Senator McCarthy by a vote of 65 to 22 (the votes for censure included all the Democratic senators and about half the Republican senators) for failing to cooperate with the subcommittee that was investigating him, and for insults to the committee that was trying to censure him <ref>Senate Report 104-137 - Resolution For Disciplinary Action. Library of Congress (1995). Retrieved on 2006-10-19.</ref>, making him one of the few senators ever to be disciplined in this fashion. [http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/60.htm]  McCarthy died of acute hepatitis in Bethesda Naval Hospital on May 2, 1957, at the age of 48.

==VENONA files==

==VENONA files==