In a March 11 Washington Post column, Dana Milbank compared Rep. Peter King's (R-NY) hearings on Muslim radicalization to McCarthyism, writing that King “staged his investigation into the loyalty of Muslim Americans in an appropriate place: a hearing room once used by the House Un-American Activities Committee.” He further wrote that the questions during the hearings included “false allegations of subversion,” which Milbank wrote “is the very definition of McCarthyism.”

From Milbank's column:

Peter King staged his investigation into the loyalty of Muslim Americans in an appropriate place: a hearing room once used by the House Un-American Activities Committee.

[...]

But the ghost of Tail-Gunner Joe would not be denied. It found a host in the body of freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.), who asked Los Angeles Sheriff Leroy Baca, a witness, about his work with a large Muslim group called CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

“You are aware that this is a Hamas and . . . Muslim Brotherhood entity?” the lawmaker asked, pronouncing Muslim as “moo-slim.”

“No, I'm not aware of that,” the sheriff replied.

Cravaack informed Baca that CAIR was founded by two people identified by the FBI as “Hamas members.” “Basically you're dealing with a terrorist organization,” he said.

“If the FBI has something to charge CAIR with, bring those charges forward,” Baca replied, coolly.

Cravaack was indignant. “Are you saying that the FBI was wrong in identifying that CAIR is part of Hamas, an entity of Hamas?”

This is the very definition of McCarthyism: false allegations of subversion. King didn't even bother inviting the group to defend itself.