McCARTHYISM, IT'S McCARTHYISM, THAT'S ALL IT IS – AT 7:12 P.M. ET:  Reader Joseph J. Gallick alerts us to a bulletin from the Department of Justice, which apparently did something well: 

Eight individuals were arrested Sunday for allegedly carrying out long-term, "deep-cover" assignments in the United States on behalf of the Russian Federation, the Justice Department announced today. Two additional defendants were also arrested Sunday for allegedly participating in the same Russian intelligence program within the United States.

What?  Are these McCarthyites at it again, claiming that Mother Russia spies on the United States?  What's next?  An interrogation of Oliver Stone?  Hearings in Hollywood? 

In total, 11 defendants, including the 10 arrested, are charged in two separate criminal complaints with conspiring to act as unlawful agents of the Russian Federation within the United States. Federal law prohibits individuals from acting as agents of foreign governments within the United States without prior notification to the U.S. Attorney General. Nine of the defendants are also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The defendants known as "Richard Murphy" and "Cynthia Murphy" were arrested yesterday by FBI agents at their residence in Montclair, N.J., and are expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan today. Vicky Pelaez and the defendant known as "Juan Lazaro" were arrested yesterday at their residence in Yonkers, N.Y., and are expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan today. Anna Chapman was arrested in Manhattan yesterday and is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan today.

COMMENT:  I guess this is another result of Obama's attempt to "reset" relations with Russia.  Maybe the reset button doesn't work.  Or maybe the president doesn't work.  Or something.

We'll follow this.  We haven't had a good Russkie spy scandal in a long time.  And to think, Medvedev was just here.  I wonder if Obama knew about the upcoming spy arrests before the visit. 

We recall that, just prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis, Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko visited President Kennedy and denied that the Soviet Union intended to put offensive weapons in Cuba.  When the crisis broke, Kennedy went public with Gromyko's remarks and charged that the Soviet Union had lied to him.  Shock.

We'll watch to see if the spy scandal has any effect on Obama's policy, or his golf game.

June 28, 2010