Gingrich Glorifies McCarthyism to Defend Bachmann's Anti-Muslim Witch Hunt

By Ben Armbruster, ThinkProgress

10 August 12

oday on CNN, Newt Gingrich applauded the central tenets of McCarthyism to justify his support for Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-MN) baseless campaign to root out alleged Muslim Brotherhood infiltration of the U.S. government.

Host Wolf Blitzer singled out Bachmann target Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, telling Gingrich that it's "ridiculous" to include her and that the whole thing reeks of McCarthyism. But the former House Speaker - and Mitt Romney supporter - wouldn't back down, praising McCarthyism for rooting out communists and defending Abedin's inclusion in Bachmann's witch hunt. "This State Department has been amazingly pro-Muslim Brotherhood," he said, "American citizens have the right to have the Congress ask the question." Watch the clip:

Bachmann has been widely criticized for her anti-Muslim campaign, including by some top Republicans, particularly for singling out Abedin. But the Minnesota congresswoman has yet to offer substantial proof of any Muslim Brotherhood plot. In fact, actual members of the Islamist group have recently lamented that they can't even take over the Egyptian government.

Clinton recently praised the Republicans who spoke out against Bachmann and today, President Obama's top counterterrorism adviser John Brennan denounced the campaign as well. "I have no idea of what it is that they are making reference to, and I'm not even going to try to divine what it is that sometimes comes out of Congress," he said.