HAVE YOU NO SENSE OF DECENCY, SIR? AT LONG LAST, HAVE YOU LEFT NO SENSE OF DECENCY?

Over 50 years ago, Senator Joe McCarthy was pursuing a vendetta against the Army. He decided to place into the record some relatively meaningless information concerning the law firm that represented the Army. They employed a young lawyer, who had once belonged to a chapter of a leftist organization, the Lawyer's Guild.

Although the lawyer was not representing the Army in the case; he worked in the Boston office of the law firm and had nothing to do with the case. His career could well be over if he was publicly identified as a communist.

Joseph Welch was an attorney representing the Army. As McCarthy launched into the speech that would place on record that this lawyer had been in the Lawyer's Guild, Welch went on the offensive, arguing against him personally. "Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness", as he implored him not to go on. "Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator; you've done enough," he cried; and as McCarthy showed that he was going to go on nevertheless, Welch added: "Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

Along with many others, I had always thought that Welch had used the word shame in place of decency. I love his use of the word defined as conforming to standards of propriety, good taste, or morality. Shame would work, but I think his use of "decency" works better.

If I was running the DNC, I would suggest that in answer to all of the "swift boating" disgraceful commercials run by the RNC that lie or at least mislead, that they resurrect the old kinescopes of Welch with McCarthy, and cut to the Republican in question and ask, " Have you no sense of decency sir? At long last have you no sense of decency." I would use the Welch material as the basis of attacking all the Republicans who participate in this process.

Negative campaigns I expect are part of the sleazier side of politics. Republicans have advanced the process to a point where they truly have no sense of decency, nor do they exhibit a modicum of shame.
It is incredible how they manage to demonize a Vietnam War hero and novelist for his writings of fiction, and an African American for attending a Playboy reception.

HOW DARE THEY?