Senators McCarthy, McConnell, Smith and Warren

On June 1, 1950, Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine did something no other Senator, Republican and/or Democrat, had done.  She stood up to fellow Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin when she gave her first major speech in the senate.  She named the speech  her "Declaration of Conscience".  Although she had the backing of five of her male colleagues.  she stood alone, the only woman Senator at that time, and gave the speech.  While she did not mention Senator McCarthy by name, she implicitly chastised Joseph McCarthy for his role in  further dividing the country "by confusion and suspicions that  are bred in the United States Senate to spread like cancerous tentacles of 'know nothing, suspect everything' attitudes".   She spoke on behalf of the American people who were "sick and  tired of being afraid to speak their minds lest they be  politically smeared" because the exercise of free speech had  been "so abused by some that it is not exercised by other."

Senator McCarthy had no response to her speech.  He did make a disparaging remark about Senator Smith and the Senator who had signed and/or supported her speech by calling them Snow White and the Dwarfs.  Four of the Senators who originally supported Senator Smith redacted their support because they feared reprisal from the powerful Senator McCarthy.  While Senator Smith was not censured by the Senate, Senator McCarthy began his revenge seven months later when he removed Senator Smith from the Permanent Investigation Committee.  Then Senator McCarthy decided to back and fund the Republican candidate in Maine who ran against Senator Smith in the 1954 election.  Senator Smith won in a landslide beating "Joe's boy by almost eighty thousand votes.

What was the significance of Senator Smith's victory?  Within six months the Senate voted to censure Senator McCarthy.  Perhaps the Senators finally realized that Senator McCarthy had crossed the line.  Or perhaps, as has been suggested by Senator's Smith's biographers and her personal assistant, the men finally found the courage to stand up to Senator McCarthy because a woman had and survived his wrath.

What does all this have to do with Senators McConnell and Warren?   As many know, prior to the vote to confirm Senator Sessions as attorney General, Senator Warren attempted to read Coretta Scott King's 1986 letter to Senator Thurmond expressing her concern over Senator Sessions appointment as a federal judge.  Senator McConnell silenced Senator Warren by invoking Rule 19 which deals with impugning a sitting Senator's reputation.  Senator McConnell offered the following explanation: “Sen. Warren was giving a lengthy speech,” he said. “She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.” 

Just as Senator Warren persisted, so did Senator Margaret Chase Smith.  Both women stood up and spoke out because their consciences would not allow them to remain silent.  We need more Senators and Representatives to follow the lead of these two women and persist!