Context

This famous quote was stated by attorney Joseph Welch to Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Army-McCarthy hearings on June 9, 1954.

Senator Joseph McCarthy was like Abraham Lincoln…Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, that is. McCarthy's figurative vampires? Communists. If McCarthy could have decapitated anyone he merely suspected of being "Red" and stuffed their mouth full of all-American garlic, he would have.

But in 1954, McCarthy chose the wrong target: the U.S. Army. The Army hired a Boston attorney, a Mark Wahlberg with a law degree named Joseph Welch. During McCarthy's relentless attacks, Welch finally lost it, snapping,: "Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. […] Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency?"

Where you've heard it

This one's pretty well known because it basically put a stop to McCarthyism. These remarks served as a stake in McCarthy's heart, effectively ending his career. Some politicos still bring up these words when discussing someone whom they think has no decency.

P.S. This butt-licking cat reminds us of Senator McCarthy.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

McCarthyism gets a 10 on the ol' pretentious meter. This takedown ranks considerably lower—it's pretty awesome.