Episode Details

The Hiss Perjury Conviction and the Ignition of the McCarthy Era GUEST: Nick Bunker On January 25, 1950, the conviction of Alger Hiss for perjury electrified American politics, seemingly validating Republican claims that Washington was "full of communist subversives." Seizing the moment, Dean Acheson made a controversial statement of personal loyalty to Hiss, which Joe McCarthy immediately used to launch his crusade. In February, McCarthy famously alleged in Wheeling, West Virginia, that he had a list of 56 card-carrying communists in the State Department. Democratic Majority Leader Scott Lucas failed to stop McCarthy, finding himself outmaneuvered by the Senator's "aggression" and "inventiveness." Lucas made a critical historical error by agreeing to a Senate subcommittee to investigate the allegations, providing McCarthy with a national stage to harry the President during an election year. This platform allowed the scandal to grow publicly, transforming McCarthy from a "wild card" into a powerful national figure who dominated the political scene. (5)