Letters Of The Day

a whole slew of 'em today about iowa's embarrassment in congress, steve king.

Fifth District Congressman Steve King recently admonished a speaker to brush up on her history and then noted that "Joseph McCarthy was a great American Hero."

I've read my history, and Joseph McCarthy was a delusional, deceitful, self-aggrandizing, manipulative, career- and life-ruining monster whose infamous political ascent was knowingly abetted by the collective cowardice of the House and the Senate.

Some hero. Some congressman.

-Dave Swenson, Ames.

I hope U.S. Rep. Steve King gets his wall built. Around himself.

-Barbara Moore, Boone.

When Rep. Steve King runs out of stupid pills, don't let him renew his prescription.

-Ron Shoop, Urbandale.

Congressman Steve King's remarks about Joe McCarthy being a great American hero don't surprise me. They are very consistent with other things he's had to say, such as the torture of Iraqi prisoners being no worse than a frat-house hazing, America needing an "official" language, and the best way to stop terrorism in this country is to build a fence between us and Mexico.

What does surprise me is that the Register endorsed him in his last campaign. Maybe you thought he could bring home some federal bacon, but, while he is popular in his local base, that base is crumbling on a national level, as evidenced by the Bush numbers going into free-fall over Iraq and Katrina, and the Republican leaders of both bodies coming under federal indictment.

-Roy Applegate, Spencer.

So, the late Sen. Joe McCarthy is Rep. Steve King's "great American hero." What a surprise! I don't know what history King is reading, but my history identifies the real heroes as the men who brought McCarthy down, men like CBS correspondent Edward R. Murrow and Army counsel Joseph N. Welch who, at the Army-McCarthy hearings blistered McCarthy with the simple remark: "Have you no sense of decency?"

For those too young to remember, I lived through the McCarthy era and believe me, he was no great American hero.

-Douglas W. Hansen, Storm Lake.

There are many reasons why I am glad that I live in the Des Moines area. Chief among them today is that I am in a congressional district that is NOT represented by Steve King.

-Clint Davis, Des Moines.

If Rep. Steve King considers Joe McCarthy a "great American hero," citing a historical perspective, I'm sure he would also have supported slavery and the Salem witch-hunts as the "American values" of their time. We should be looking to history to learn from our mistakes, not applaud them.

-Kathi Stanfield, Indianola.

--source