Rep. Peter King, known for making outrageous and broad statements about Islam and American Muslims, is going to be holding a set of hearings on domestic radicalization sometime soon. The fact that Democrats haven't more forcefully addressed this problem in the past means that King's hearings may be influential in defining how Americans look at the issue. That's frustrating because given King's conduct in the past, the hearings seem likely to further legitimize the notion that American Muslims represent some kind of radical fifth column of "stealth jihadists" seeking to subvert the United States, the demographic impossibility of that happening and the record of cooperation between Muslims and law enforcement notwithstanding.
King's recent remarks about criticism he received from The New York Times suggests the comparisons to the witch hunts conducted by the House Un-American Activities Committee aren't really all that far-fetched:
“I'm absolutely delighted that The New York Times would attack me,” he said in an interview with The Hill. “I have nothing but contempt for them. They should be indicted under the Espionage Act. … The New York Times is just basically being a mouthpiece for political correctness.”
Nothing says "this isn't a witch hunt" like a politician responding to criticism by suggesting his critics should be prosecuted for espionage.
