Has John McCain become a modern day Joe McCarthy?

McCain's method, language, even the "Mutt & Jeff" routine that Joe M. played with Nixon and Roy Cohen, appears very similar, but it is unlikely to work as well as McCarthy's run. Cohen and Nixon, ugly characteristics that they were, were at least professionals.

Eventually, such tactics end in disaster, but what a ride until then!

One of the questions that is being asked now is, what act of Ayers over the last twenty years (besides being chosen as Citizen of the Year in Chicago in 1998) is either criminal or unethical? If there is such, why have we not heard about it, or has prosecution started?

People are scared, with the stock market down again today, 38% since January.

The Communist threat of the 1950's came from the post WW2 Soviet bloc and was a very real and genuine concern . McCarthy fed on these fears, but went way overboard in his pursuit of innocent citizens whose political bent didn't fit his standards. Eventually his overzealous attacks/paranoia brought about his downfall.

Although I would have enthusiastically supported John McCain in 2000 or 2004, I am deeply disappointed by his tactics in the 2008 election. This is not the man I have admired in the past. I can understand the McCain-McCarthy connection, but hope McCain changes course before his campaign completely collapses.

I think that's a bit far. McCain has an excuse: he's losing and he's become like a cornered animal lashing out with whatever he can. On the other hand, McCarthy had no reason for his witch hunts other than sheer malice and/or delusion. McCain realizes his Ayers thing is bs or he would have brought it up at the debates. He didn't want 100 million Americans to hear Obama actually respond the accusations.

whoa ... the anti obama rhetoric has been ratcheted way up ? funny, at exactly the same moment the McCain Campaign has turned overtly aggressive. People following the lead, or people working chat rooms, staying on subject?

sorry I almost forgot to answer the question, it's just the 3rd question that I've seen the Obama swastika face...gettin ugly now, and yes McCain is appealing to the same base line nationalism.

It appears if McCain continues to pursue this McCarthy-esque tactic, he will have to respond to his past connections, including Charles Keating and his association with another group directly connected to the Iran/Contra fiasco. The American people are not interested in smear campaigns, and we hope the candidates (especially McCain/Palin) will concentrate on vital policy issues such as Bush's Iraq fiasco and the current economic abyss due to conservative Republican (McCain/Palin/Gramm/Bush/Cheney/Reagan) agenda of no deregulation and free markets are the panacea to all financial woes.

you're a stone cold bone-head, but what's wrong with rooting out communism, especially at a time when they we're much more of a threat. looks like hollywood hasn't changed much. oh by the way, obama's association with ayers is a hard cold fact, not to mention numerous others.

No, I think he's become more of a modern day Richard Nixon...anything goes as long as he wins. If you're ever in the White House, watch out for the tape recorder! And Palin is his Spiro Agnew! LOL

Attempt? This is a fact. Obama started his campaign in Ayers living room. Obama said he didn't even know the guy..."someone in the neighborhood". Obama and Ayers sat on the same board..."someone in the neighborhood". They--are--friends!! That's f-r-i-e-n-d-s.

Guilt by association tell your boy Obama to stop talking about Bush.

McCarthy was right in outing the Communist snakes in our government. I wish he was here today to out comrade Obama.