Yes it did continue long after McCarthyism went out, but YOU said that the US fought the cold war without circumnavigating the Constitution right?
Well, as McCarthyism was part of the cold war and as it did circumnavigate the Constitution (e.g. the Communist Control Act of '54) then the only logical conclusion is that your point is wrong.
No it's an indirect attack, but yes it should go.
Understand that I am not defending the Patriot Act or praising it or praising anything related to McCarthyism. You know I've read your posts here and there, you are always in attack mode and you have such a strong determination to always be right that you lack even the merest trace of humility that would ever allow you to accept the possibility of you being wrong.