by Ed Brodow
Political movements often get out of hand. It happened in the 1950s with
McCarthyism. As the Cold War monopolized the headlines, Senator Joseph McCarthy
of Wisconsin spearheaded a massive investigation into communist infiltration of the
federal government. From 1950-1954, Senator McCarthy exerted an almost
dictatorial influence upon life in America. Even President Eisenhower was afraid to
challenge McCarthy.
Everyone living in the U.S. during the Fifties was affected by McCarthyism, which
has come to be defined as the practice of making reckless, unsubstantiated
accusations of subversion or treason without respect for evidence, especially the
character assassination of political adversaries. Thanks to Joe McCarthy, if you once
happened to peruse an essay by Karl Marx or attended a leftist rally when you were
sixteen, you were at risk of being investigated by the FBI and labeled a “commie” or
“pinko.” Millions of innocent, ordinary Americans were terrified that they would be
caught up in the hysteria. Hundreds were actually convicted of attempting to
subvert the government and tens of thousands lost their jobs based on hearsay and
innuendo.
A few liberal sources have attempted to compare Donald Trump to Joe McCarthy. In
truth, it is the special counsel, not the president, who has assumed a McCarthyesque
role in American life. The comparison of Robert Mueller to Joe McCarthy is fitting
because once again we are witnessing a perversion of the powers of government by
a single individual acting as though he is above the law. The alleged purpose of the
Mueller investigation—to find evidence of collusion between the Russians and the
Trump campaign—was dubious from day one. Although it has produced no evidence
of such collusion after nearly two years, the probe has taken on a life of its own as it
pokes into everything and anything that suits Mueller’s fancy. Mueller’s real
objective appears to be the destruction of Trump’s presidency.
Mueller, like McCarthy, seems to be accountable to no one. He was appointed by
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, not by the president or the Senate, after
Rosenstein all but took over the Justice Department when Attorney General Jeff
Sessions recused himself. This has caused Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and others
to question the legitimacy of the special counsel. According to a Quinnipiac
University poll, half of U.S. voters believe the investigation is a “political witch hunt.”
McCarthy scared the pants off of any person who could be described as liberal. The
tables have turned—Mueller is now doing the same to conservative Trump
supporters. The targeting by Mueller of Paul Manafort is an example. Manafort, who
served briefly as Trump’s campaign manager before the 2016 election, is going to
trial on alleged tax and bank fraud charges that relate to how he handled money as a
consultant to Ukraine going back to 2006. According to the New York Times,
“prosecutors have said they do not intend to delve into questions about collusion
between Russia and the Trump campaign.” If that is true, why is the special counsel
targeting Manafort? If Manafort were not associated with Trump, would he be on
trial? Without a doubt, the answer is no.
In what is clearly an abuse of power, Mueller is using Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael
Cohen and anyone else he can terrorize into coughing up evidence that implicates
the president, as well as sending fear into the hearts of Trump supporters
everywhere. The Mueller inquiry has encouraged attempts by the Left to make life
difficult for anyone who works for or supports Trump. Assaults on conservatives,
including the restaurant attacks on Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen
and White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, would never be happening if the
Mueller investigation did not exist.
The White House has insisted that the special counsel investigation is a witch hunt.
The judge in a preliminary hearing, T.S. Ellis III, said as much to Manafort’s
prosecutors. “You don’t really care about Mr. Manafort’s bank fraud,” said Judge
Ellis. “You really care about what information Mr. Manafort can give you that would
reflect on Mr. Trump or lead to his prosecution or impeachment or whatever.” For a
moment it looked as though Judge Ellis was a warrior for the truth. Instead of
showing some backbone, Ellis changed his tune and allowed the case to proceed.
Who got to him? What kind of collusion occurred between Mueller, Rod Rosenstein,
James Comey, and their friends at Justice and the FBI? Mueller’s field of influence is
extensive, thanks to the Washington deep state set in place by Barack Obama.
The message is clear: If you were ever associated with Donald Trump, or you are a
Trump supporter, you could be the next target of Mueller and his team of pit bull
attorneys—and there is nothing that the president or anyone else can do to stop it.
Democrats and Obama appointees love the charade. “Republicans who are supposed
to be running the show,” says author Mark Levin, “do nothing.” No one knows where
the investigation will go next or when it will come to an end. Joe McCarthy, for all
the damage he did, never impacted Truman or Eisenhower as much as Mueller is
interfering with Trump’s efforts to do his job.
The needs of the country demand resolution of the investigation. Whether Mueller
calls it quits or Trump fires Mueller or Congress holds him in contempt, the political
anarchy and divisiveness brought on by Mueller’s uncontrolled bid for power must
be halted. At issue is not merely the legitimacy of the presidency. The lesson of the
McCarthy era is that a single unaccountable individual must not be allowed to run
roughshod over the federal government and the Constitution.
Ed Brodow is a political commentator, negotiation expert, and author of Tyranny of
the Minority: How the Left is Destroying America.
Copyright © 2018 Ed Brodow. All rights reserved.
