Bill Clinton 'a modern-day Joe McCarthy'

from an article by Tim Shipman in Washington | Last Updated: 1:16pm GMT 22/03/2008

Bill Clinton has become embroiled in a new race row after he appeared to question the patriotism of Barack Obama, his wife Hillary’s White House rival.

	The former president was accused of taking a dig at Barrack Obama's patriotis

Supporters of the Democratic frontrunner promptly branded Mr Clinton a modern-day version of Joe McCarthy, the red-baiting senator who led a government witch hunt for communists in the 1950s.

Discussing the prospect of a presidential election between Mrs Clinton and the Republican candidate, John McCain, the former president told a group of war veterans in North Carolina: "I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country.

"And people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics."

His words were immediately interpreted as a dig at Mr Obama, whose pastor, Revd Jeremiah Wright, was exposed last week for delivering sermons in which he told worshippers "God damn America."

The Illinois senator responded to the Wright controversy by giving a speech on race in which he denounced the words of his pastor but asked voters to understand the frustrations and anger of black Americans.

Retired General Tony McPeak, a former US air force chief of staff and co-chairman of the Obama campaign, hit back, saying: "I grew up, I was going to college, when Joe McCarthy was accusing good Americans of being traitors, so I’ve had enough of it.

"It’s a use of language as a disguised insult. We’ve seen this before, this little clever spin that’s put on stuff."