Meet The Press
Senator Joseph McCarthy
March 19, 1950

Q: Senator, I'd like to know what inspired you to this campaign or crusade, or whatever--did the Republicans put you up to it?

McCarthy: The answer May is "no", no one put me up to it.

Q: Well then, how did you get the idea of starting it? What made you do it?

McCarthy: It's just one of those tasks, May, that someone has to do. The longer you stay down here the more you're impress with the, unusual people in high places, and the extremely bad security risks, for we should not have bad security risks.

Q: It must be very expensive--the research you must do and the mimeograph you're doing, is anyone helping you with the money?

McCarthy: No May, I'll be glad to let you help me.

Q: [laughs]

Q: Senator, on the basis of what has happened so far in this investigation, I wonder whether you feel that you have proved your charges of Communism in the State Department?

McCarthy: Mr. Brooks, there's uh, the, this has just started. This is going to be a long, hard fight. Before we're through I think we will not only prove there are some bad security risks in the department--I think we'll succeed in getting them out.

Q: Would you say that so far you have so far you have publicly produced a case of a person now employed by the State Department who can be shown without any question of doubt to be a member of the Communist Party?

McCarthy: Now, when you're taking about being a member of the Communist Party, Mr. Brooks, I'm not so much concerned about whether or not they have signed a card, whether they have a card in their pocket saying "I am a member of the Party." I'm concerned about those men who are doing the job that the Communists want them to do.