Remember former Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.)? Last May, the Republican raised eyebrows when he accused dozens of House Democrats of being secret members of the Communist Party. Asked for an explanation, West eventually argued that, in his mind, “Communism, Progressivism, Socialism, Marxism, or Statism” are all effectively the same thing.
He’s apparently not the only one who thinks this way.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) made no effort to hide the fact that he believes the Democratic agenda is radical, comparing members of the party to Socialists and Marxists over the weekend.
Johnson lamented President Barack Obama’s reelection with fellow Republicans in a speech on Saturday night in Johnson Creek, Wis., calling it a “body blow to freedom.” He then described what “people who like freedom” — people such as himself — were up against.
“We are up against a strategy that is taking place by liberals, progressives, Democrats, whatever they call themselves nowadays, Socialists, Marxists,” Johnson continued, according to the Daily Jefferson County Union.
Of course, Allen West is a former one-term congressman, known for his ridiculous rhetoric, now relegated to obscurity. Ron Johnson is the senior U.S. senator from the great state of Wisconsin. That he and West are sharing talking points and twisted worldviews is not at all reassuring.
That other Wisconsin senator referred to in the headline would be the late Joe McCarthy, in case you didn’t get the reference. Of course, there’s a big difference between Ron Johnson and Tailgunner Joe. McCarthy was a shameless demagogue and Johnson’s just an imbecile who doesn’t know what “socialist” or “Marxist” even means.
