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The Capital Times
Monday, October 12, 1998

Neumann walks in McCarthy's footsteps
Plain Talk: Dave Zweifel

Wisconsin voters were misled by a demagogic politician some 52 years ago.

The election of Joseph R. McCarthy to the U.S. Senate in 1946 and 
re-election in 1952 proved to be an embarrassment that the state is trying 
to live down to this very day.

"McCarthyism'' is still the word used to describe underhanded American
 politics.  Webster's even has a definition: "the use of indiscriminate, 
often unfounded, accusations, sensationalism, inquisitorial investigative 
methods, etc., as in the suppression of political opponents portrayed as 
subversive.''

Certainly, we'll never be duped by a McCarthy again. Or will we?

U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann may not be calling U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold a 
communist, but he is using every other McCarthy trick in the book to mislead 
Wisconsin voters into believing he is something different from what he is.

Suddenly, this poster child for the intolerant religious right would have 
us believe that he's a moderate, nice guy Republican who has spent his time 
in Congress helping old folks and fighting for the common guy.

In truth, Neumann's politics have made even Newt Gingrich cringe 
in embarrassment.

But Neumann, thanks to an expensive and slick TV ad campaign,  
is trying to convince Wisconsinites that Sen. Russ Feingold is a 
flag burner and baby killer. To hell with the real issues that both of these 
issues represent.

It proves once again that Madison Avenue can do anything with clever TV 
advertising. It can make Mark Neumann look credible, just like it can make 
toilet bowl cleaner seem as refreshing as a can of Coke or Pepsi.

That's why it is so important that voters look further than those grating 
30- and 60-second ads.

The Janesville Republican doesn't want to talk about a flag amendment's 
impact on the First Amendment or the government intervening between a doctor 
and a patient over a painful abortion decision.

Like Joe McCarthy, he'd gladly alter the First Amendment. 
In McCarthy's case it was to tarnish those who might associate with 
unpopular causes. In Neumann's case it is because five or six people 
across America in the past 10 or so years burned a flag.  And like Joe, 
he either doesn't know or simply doesn't care that the First Amendment 
is there to protect unpopular speech, a cornerstone of American democracy.

Neumann, again like McCarthy, has become a master at twisting facts.  
Everyone knows Feingold's key role in pushing campaign finance reform. 
Neumann's ads cleverly portray that as some great scandal, that Feingold 
wanted campaign reform to pay for his own "funny'' ads. 

The truth, of course, is that a key leader of Neumann's own party, Sen. John
McCain, joined Feingold in a sincere and long-running attempt to purge the influence of big
money from our political system.

But Neumann, like Joe McCarthy, isn't interested in the truth.

It is clear that he will stop at nothing in this campaign.

As Joe McCarthy was asked:

"Have you no shame, sir?''

Dave Zweifel is the editor of The Capital Times.

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