General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI don't get all the Senator Menendez apologists!?
Read how virtually the entire New Jersey Democratic party in mass has suggested Sen Menedez resign for the good of the Dem party!
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/22/new-jersey-democrats-menendez-indictment-00117693
Add AOC to the calls for him to step down.
This is his second time around with being charged, and at the very least having $500,O00 worth of cash stuffed in coat pockets and envelopes looks really bad.
It's incredulous to us how tRump is not already eliminated from politics and ideally in jail for being an autocratic habitually lying sociopath. The criminal cabal that supports him are equally in denial.
Congressman George Santos is no better.
We need to walk our talk as Democrats and maintain our values even if an influential Dem senator gets busted on bribery charges. Yes, he's not convicted yet; but the optics are horrible and he could fix it by being less selfish and get out!
Recycle_Guru
(2,973 posts)Walleye
(34,031 posts)spooky3
(35,610 posts)A second to jump in.
Walleye
(34,031 posts)spooky3
(35,610 posts)Mikey Sherrill may enter too.
Qutzupalotl
(14,893 posts)so as not to split the anti-Menendez vote.
Effete Snob
(8,387 posts)There are people who have read the indictment, and people who have not.
Qutzupalotl
(14,893 posts)despite its informal reputation. We are high on many Google searches on political topics. It stands to reason that a senator in trouble would dispatch staff here to try to help his campaign.
It irks me that he'll probably run again. I hope he gets primaried out.
edisdead
(3,164 posts)So my default is let the law play out and see what happens. I lost my senator because people demanded he resign. It pissrd me off. I am not about to demand someone else lose there.
Silent3
(15,909 posts)Maybe I'm not scouring what's posted here on DU thoroughly enough, but I haven't encountered many Menendez defenders here.
There's a thread going with the title, "Senator Menendez should NOT resign!!!!!", but it's sarcastic.
RiverStone
(7,237 posts)Bob Menendez was indicted,! tRump same X 4
Silence is not an option!
brooklynite
(96,882 posts)Indykatie
(3,821 posts)RiverStone
(7,237 posts)bigtree
(88,923 posts)...of course not.
WH declines to call for Bob Menendez' resignation
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/white-house-weighs-in-on-bob-menendez-charges-declines-to-call-for-resignation/ar-AA1hfjKE
RiverStone
(7,237 posts)I'm guessing the WHwill change their response in short order.
bigtree
(88,923 posts)...shocked.
bigtree
(88,923 posts)...of people who may disagree with you about his proven guilt.
You don't look to want enlightenment, you just appear here to want to denigrate anyone offering a defense.
No one should be bullied away from defending this Democratic senator's right to an assumption of innocence of the charges against him.
RiverStone
(7,237 posts)Well I'm not sure I would use derogatory to characterize my disagreement, tho we can agree to disagree on that.
My point was that given Senator's Menendez history (believe there was a hung jury), regardless of his eventual guilt or not, the optics are so bad that he should resign.
Sadly, we need to leverage every possible edge we can muster in the upcoming presidential race. We don't need to give the Republican their bullshit false equivalency of Menendez did bad, tRump did bad (treason to overthrow the government) as equal - therefore, so what???
bigtree
(88,923 posts)...but the actual jury hung on a 10-2 vote for aquittal, causing prosecutors to decline to try him again.
You do what you want, but don't try and sell this to me as some sage political choice. The optics here are provided by prosecutors (and the press), absent any court defense from Menendez (which is certainly viable considering it's just 'conspiracy' of bribery with a less apparent product from Menendez in return.)
The laws which govern legislators' conduct are meant to set guidelines which, if the Senator can prove he followed, represent his adherence to his obligation and responsibility to the Senate.
It's that simple. You can't make the same case against him if he's aquitted, so what is this, really?
RiverStone
(7,237 posts)It's this!
From NY news:
https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2023/09/22/bob-menendez-new-jersey-bribery-offenses-justice-department
I think most of us would have a similar reaction to anyone being found with $500,000 cash stuffed into jacket and coat pockets + all the other influences ihe was aligned with (see article).
bigtree
(88,923 posts)...should be more than charges or accusations causing Democrats to demand a party legislators' resignation.
Especially accusations as obtuse as these, despite all of the salacious pics of cash and gold bars, and the inclusion of foreign others connections meant to spark notions of national betrayal.
No one is an 'apologist' expecting courts to determine guilt, instead of prosecutors who represent a legal process which couldn't connect the dots for jurors with Menendez in the last attempt to convict him.
marble falls
(60,305 posts)madville
(7,447 posts)We have a deep bench, the sooner he's gone the better.