Entry Into Politics
McCarthy was a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Representing Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District, McCarthy served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959. In 1958 he was elected to the U.S. Senate. He was a member of (among other committees) the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He was introduced to a larger audience in 1960 when he supported twice-defeated candidate Adlai Stevenson for the nomination. He pleaded during his speech, "Do not reject this man who made us all proud to be called Democrats!" He was considered as Lyndon Johnson's running mate in 1964, only to have fellow Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey chosen for that position.
Along with Ted Kennedy, he was one of the original co-sponsors of the Immigration Act of 1965. He later regretted this, noting that "unrecognized by virtually all of the bill's supporters, were provisions which would eventually lead to unprecedented growth in numbers and the transfer of policy control from the elected representatives of the American people to individuals wishing to bring relatives to this country." Taking a turn to the right, McCarthy became a member of the Board of Advisors of the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
McCarthy met with Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara in New York City in 1964 to discuss repairing relations with the U.S. and Cuba. The two met in journalist Lisa Howard's Park Avenue apartment. This event is depicted in the film Che: Part One.
Read more about this topic: Eugene McCarthy
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