In a limited defense of the late Senator Joseph McCarthy, membership in the Communist Party was protected by the Constitution.
Constitution of the United States, Article VI [1]:
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.
So are Senators Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI [2]) and Kamala Harris (D-CA [3]) idiots or just plain stupid, from Catholic News Agency [4]:
A judicial nominee faced questions from Senators this month about whether membership in the Knights of Columbus might impede his ability to judge federal cases fairly. The Knights of Columbus say that no candidate for public office should have to defend his membership in a Catholic service organization.
Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) raised concerns about membership in the Knights of Columbus while the Senate Judiciary Committee reviewed the candidacy of Brian C. Buescher, an Omaha-based lawyer nominated by President Trump to sit on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.
Hat tip and reax, American Conservative [5]:
The Knights of Columbus! A Catholic fraternal and social service organization, to which 1.6 million Catholic men around the world belong! It was created in the 19th century because Catholics couldn’t be Freemasons, and because anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant prejudice kept Catholics out of other fraternal and social service organizations.
And now anti-Catholic bigotry is coming back in the guise of progressivism.
Pox on any government official, or candidate for such office, who deigns to ask, or answer, such a question. A proper response would be, with all due respect Senator, under Article 6, I decline to answer. Unless Senator Harris has an issue with all charities, having a problem with a Catholic charity is violation of the Constitution. If Harris is not smart enough to phrase her question in matter which does not question of candidate religion, she not smart enough to be President.
Contact Senators Hirono and Harris and feel free tell that their constitutional ignorance and religious bigotry is not welcome.