Clinton praises McCarthy's courage

[struggle4progress]

Former president recalls night 'I stood in Gene McCarthy's shoes'
Saturday, January 14, 2006; Posted: 5:17 p.m. EST (22:17 GMT)

... "It all started when Gene McCarthy was willing to stand alone and turn the tide of history," Clinton said at a memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral.

McCarthy, who died last month at 89, mounted an anti-war challenge to President Johnson for the 1968 Democratic nomination, leading to Johnson's withdrawal from the race after the New Hampshire presidential primary.

About 800 people, some wearing McCarthy campaign buttons, attended the memorial. A bagpipe procession started the service, and Peter Yarrow of the folk group, Peter, Paul and Mary, sang "This Land Is Your Land" and other songs ...

Clinton was willing to overlook a far more serious challenge by speaking at the memorial service. In 1998, at the height of Clinton's impeachment scandal, McCarthy called for the president to resign or be impeached ...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/14/mccarthy.legacy.ap/

[aquart]

1. I still have my Eugene buttons.

But I'm damn sorry he came out against Clinton and bought into that contrived perjury trap.

[struggle4progress]

2. Story shows you what a big man Clinton is, though.

I've always admired McCarthy, too ...

[OldLeftieLawyer]

3. By 1998,

Senator McCarthy was already starting to surrender to the senile dementia that defined his last years. I'm not sure of the year, but I think he was already in an assisted-living facility by 1998 - if not, he was very close to it. He was a neighbor of ours out in the Virginia countryside, and the changes in his personality were terribly dramatic and sad as he began to fail.

Some scumbag must have gotten to him for that call to resign. Senator McCarthy probably had no idea what exactly had happened.

More than anyone, he would have appreciated the brouhaha over a blowjob.

Good for Clinton.

[Cha]

4. Gawd! I just saw "Good Night And Good Luck"

and I was thinking of joe mccarthy. Damn Straight Gene McCarthy had courage!

George McGovern has the Sweetest eulogy for him in The Nation..

"Gene McCarthy was a pure original. No other senator had the combination of endowments Gene possessed: He was a philosopher, a skilled 6' 4" baseball and hockey player, a visionary statesman, a moralist, an eloquent orator and graceful poet with a mastery of English diction and a wit equal to Shaw's that had no match in the Senate.

He, of course, was a human being with his own trademark faults. At times he seemed to retire to his lair rather than engage in battles on the Senate floor or in committee. Sometimes his wit inflicted needless pain on those less well endowed in brain or tongue. Once when I expressed admiration for the courage of a Republican colleague, Gene snorted: "He has the kind of courage of a soldier who observes the battlefield from a hill and then rides down to shoot the enemy's wounded men."

When I was elected to the House of Representatives in 1956, Gene had already been there for eight years. He accepted me as one of his freshman wards. Soon I found myself invited to be a member of a small Friday luncheon group that included Stewart Udall, Frank Thompson, Lee Metcalf and Gene. Those lunches, which usually included a martini or two, gave me a splendid introduction both to practical Washington politics and to contemporary issues. As the youngest member of the group I had the most to learn, and no freshman could have had four better teachers.

Gene went on to organize a larger group of House liberals known as McCarthy's Marauders, which blossomed into the even larger House Democratic Study Group. Big, brilliant, witty McCarthy was a hero to the liberals in the House.


Many more interesting words about Eugene from George McGovern..
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060102/mcgovern

[jwirr]

14. That definition of the soldier on the hill certainly fits most of

the repugs today! I love it.

[Frank Cannon]

5. Nice one. I thought you meant JOE McCarthy.

Thanks for raising my blood pressure about 50 points.

On edit: It's sad that I wouldn't put it past any of our Democratic "leadership" (with the exceptions of Al Gore or John Edwards) not to sing the praises of Joe McFreakingCarthy.

[Vidar]

6. We're so far through the looking glass that I feared the same thing

despite my admiration for Clinton.

[IndianaGreen]

7. I also thought Big Dog was speaking of Joe McCarthy

Considering his recent defense of the war criminal Tony Blair, and his rubbing elbows with the Bush clan, I would not have been surprised if Big Dog had been speaking of Joe McCarthy.

[Vidar]

8. Bill's fatal flaw--wanting to be liked by all.

[mitchum]

13. I also assumed that DLClinton was praising Joe McCarthy

[BiggJawn]

15. Same here. I thought "What's NEXT? Praise for Jeff Dahmer...

...as a 'Culinary Visionary'???"
I forgot about the "good" McCarthy.

[TankLV]

12. Me too. Whew!

Where's my Toprol?! (heart rate reducing med)

[HereSince1628]

9. Gene had principles, Clinton had triangulation.

Gene lost badly, Clinton won handily. If that doesn't leave you feeling jaded nothing will.

[PhilipShore]

10. Clinton finally likes liberals

I voted for Clinton twice, and I had some regret because of his outspoken resentment toward liberals, but I guess he has changed his point of view about liberals.

[jonnyblitz]

11. yeah, after they die. nt

[CBHagman]

16. I thought maybe you meant Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)

She's the widowed nurse who sent Dan Frisa (It was Dan Frisa, wasn't it?) after he voted to overturn the assault weapons ban. McCarthy's husband was killed and her son severely injured in the infamous Long Island railroad shooting. She's one of the few politicians I make a point of donating to regularly.

[Raine]

17. She's TERRIFIC

a Democrat we can be PROUD of! :thumbsup: