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    "title": "Memorandum, Meeting the Challenge of McCarthyism",
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    "ocrText": "Meeting the Challenge of McCarthyism\nABC-CORDS\nThere is probably no good definition of \"McCarthyism, \" but the term\nwraps up what is generally acknowledged to be the reason for the\nAdministration's set-back in the 1950 election. This acknowledgment\ncomes both from newspaper comment and from hard-headed reports sub-\nmitted after the election by defeated candidates.\nUnless McCarthyism is discredited, the 1952 election is in great\ndanger of going the same way. Most other issues of the 1950 election -\nfor example, the Taft-Hartley Act - have faded into the current\nproblems of defense mobilization; but increasing attention to mobili-\nzation makes McCarthyism that much more vital as a continuing issue,\ni.e., McCarthyism increases in importance, as our foreign policy and\nmilitary position dominates national attention.\nSenator McCarthy will be up for reelection in Wisconsin in 1952. He\nwill therefore be more of a personal issue that year than he was in\n1950, but McCarthyism has a far larger geographical impact than\nWisconsin. It deeply concerns Maryland, Pennsylvania, Florida,\nIndiana, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Colorado, Utah and California - to mention\nsome of the States in which Administration defeats were suffered last fall.\nIt seems clear among both liberals and conservatives in the Democratic\nParty that McCarthyism must be completely and roundly whipped, if the\nAdministration is to have a chance in 1952, and that this must be done\nwith equal parts of vigor and intelligence. The attack cannot be one\nthat would make a martyr of McCarthy, in his home State or in other cam-\npaigns, including the Presidential one.\nHowever, practically nothing appears on the surface as having been done\nsince the election to prosecute this vital activity. The current House\nsubcommittee investigation of Senator Butler's tactics against Senator\nTydings in Maryland is about the only example to the contrary, although\nit is a very good example of the kind of counterattack which must be\nconducted as a minimum.\nMcCarthyism can be beaten. But it will not eliminate itself - it will\nhave to be beaten aggressively. A little-known fact about the 1950\nelections in Wisconsin is that many of the Democratic gains in that\nState were made where McCarthy appeared or made a speech during the\ncampaign. (Remember that Senator Wiley was running for election.)\nSee\nthe attached excerpt from a Wisconsin magazine for details of this"
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