George Clooney is producing a play based on the 2005 movie “Good Night And Good Luck.” “Good Night and Good Luck” covers TV newsman Edward R. Murrow’s battle against Congressman Joe McCarthy. The latter ran a campaign of lies and unsubstantiated allegations that many citizens were members of the Communist Party. It wrecked many lives.
Murrow, on CBS News, had the courage to take on McCarthy, but, not without collateral damage to himself and CBS. McCarthy did a lot of harm. However, he was only a congressman. Eventually, members of his own party withdrew their support.
Imagine what a similar person, in the office of the presidency and whose party controlled both houses, could do. And let’s add that nearly all of those legislators were fearful of crossing their president.
With so much more power available to him, Donald Trump is doing far more damage than McCarthy. Trump does intimidate via accusations about his enemies, and that does a lot of harm. However, his unrivaled use of executive orders is like a nuclear weapon vs. a conventional one.
Further, that damage isn’t being done to a political party. It is an all-out attack on our democratic republic. If he is to be stopped, it cannot be accomplished by the Democratic Party. It must come from elected Republicans. Barring that, I fear the presidential count could stop at 47 and the dictator count could begin.
At one point in his battle with McCarthy, Murrow quotes Cassius to inspire U.S. citizens to act. He said: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves.” Dictator Trump is not a sure thing (it isn’t in our stars) if Congress acts. Let me end as Murrow would: Good night and good luck.
Pat Gillespie, Canton
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Congress, including Republicans, must act against Trump | Letter
Reporting by Canton Repository / The Repository
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