McCarthy's most powerful and visible foe when the senator was at the height of his power and hysteria, Murrow was a seriously brave guy. While careers were going down in flames all around him, Murrow saw a man who was undermining the free society he was allegedly defending and decided he needed a punch in the mouth. He took on McCarthy at risk of being taken off the air as a Communist sympathizer, like many other broadcast journalists.

Murrow was a TV journalist. Back in the 1950s, that actually meant something, and Murrow took his responsibility seriously. Murrow's favorite tactic was to debate McCarthy or have McCarthy debate himself, which is a bit The Daily Show borrowed many years later using present-day politicians.

In this specific example, McCarthy had come after Murrow with the usual: unsubstantiated accusations. Murrow decided to do what his platform allowed: respond. In reasonable tones (and smoking the whole time, because this was 1954 and everyone was legally required to have a cigarette threading smoke into the air at all times) he refuted every one of McCarthy's allegations.

Murrow embodied everything McCarthy was not. Murrow was calm, reasonable, rational. Murrow responded to allegations with concrete, provable facts. Murrow never once stooped to insults or mud-slinging. Any allegations he made were backed up with fact.

We should all be like Edward R. Murrow.

Except the 3-packs-a-day smoking habit. Seriously, that's really bad for you.