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It's early spring 1950 in Washington, D.C.

Senator Joseph McCarthy is anxiously scanning a crowd of faces.

They pass by in a stream, legislative aides, congressmen, senators, white house staffers.

They're all part of the machine that drives Washington.

But McCarthy isn't focused on any of them right now.

He's standing on the steps of the Capitol looking for a single person, a man who's politically

connected and could hold the keys to McCarthy's future.

He's supposed to arrive any minute.

As McCarthy gays is across the Capitol, he spots a fellow Republican who smiles and tips

his fedora.

McCarthy nods, but he can't bring himself to return the friendly grin.

Not today, he's under too much pressure.

More than a month ago, McCarthy gave a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, claiming he

knew of 205 communists working in the State Department.

It was a shocking allegation, but it paid off.

McCarthy ended up scoring headlines across the country.

And even though he's the junior senator from Wisconsin, McCarthy is now in the national

spotlight.

It's a dream come true.

But there's a problem.

...