ABSTRACT
A plain man Senator Arthur Watkins, Republican of Utah directed McCarthy's political demise. Serving as chair of the committee brought McCarthy's censure by the Senate. Watkins was the chief proponent of 'Termination' of federal treaty obligations to American Indian tribes. The fear of communism and the revelations of actual Soviet espionage brought McCarthy diverse support from diverse sources. Building on the nation's anxieties and resentments, McCarthy cast himself as a lone crusader against the destruction of America. Senator William Benton of Connecticut took the lead in denouncing McCarthy and then also lost his next election. In all, McCarthy was credited for the replacement of eight liberal Democrats by conservative Republicans. Republican and Democratic presidents alike moved the nation toward dtente with the communist powers until the Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Institutional patriotism was a critical factor in the McCarthy censure.
