No Sense of Decency

This week in History: 

June 9, 1954, a pivotal turn in the Senate Investigations Committee meetings when Army counsel Joseph N. Welch confronts Senator Joseph R. McCarthy with this stirring exchange (transcribed from memory):

Welch:  “Have you no sense of decency, sir?  At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”

McCarthy:  [long uncomfortable pause, as McCarthy looks to his Senate colleagues, who only shrug] “Uh, you do know that I work in Washington, right?”

Welch:  [breaking out into laughter] “I know, I was only yanking your chain!”

[entire chamber shares a good laugh]

McCarthy:  “You had me going there for a second.  Good one.”

Welch:  “Just trying to lighten things up a bit.  Now where were we?”

[chamber resumes business as usual]

Just my thoughts,

Sean