"Bob Menendez has been a dedicated public servant and is always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey. He has a right to due process and a fair trial." That was the response of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to the indictment of Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) on Friday. Federal prosecutors accused Menendez and his wife, Nadine, of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using his official position to benefit the Government of Egypt and others. Schumer's description of Menendez as a "dedicated public servant" who is "always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey" is belied by the granular evidence of brazen corruption laid out by prosecutors in the indictment.
I Menendez is my senator, and I want him to resign. I will be calling his office today to tell him he has lost my vote and I will call my other senator, Corey Booker, and tell him I want him to encourage Menendez to resign.
Me for onle and many of my friends for more, not to mention strangers on social media who tell me the same. If your party can't stand on such basic principles against bribery, it's not a party, it's a cult.
Where you see it the most are moderate/conservative Democrats turned off by the over promotion of what they perceive as "radical" lefty ideas. Prime example are the Harvard student protesting for Hamas. There has to be better ways to support Palestinian civilians but condemn Hamas.
OTOH when Democrats are in the sweet spot it encourages moderate Republican voters to jump parties or at least go Independent.
First, none of these things support your claim that Menendez is somehow contributing to Democrats switching to Republicans. That is simply nothing but opportunism. And it certainly doesn’t happen because a Democrat office holder is fed up with corruption. JFC PLEASE
You see everything through a binary , lens of democrat and republican. First of all, there’s no difference second of all, you refer to moderate Democrats as if that’s a thing. That means Democrats, who are completely owned by their donor class contributors. The true progressives, in Congress, of which there are only 12 or a major threat to both parties.
We have a 5X elected sheriff under felony indictment on gun charges and I think he should resign. But he refuses. He was on leave because that’s apparently policy for police officers during an investigation into their actions. He has been showing up at police functions and has now decided to take himself off leave and go back to work because he says that owes it to those who elected him. Really. Having an indicted person in charge of a police department stepping back in to run it is just so odious. I think the same thing applies to Menéndez. He not only has this indictment, he has an earlier one from 2015. The smell emanating from this indictment I threatens to foil the Democratic Party.
On the other hand, I have always thought it a shame that Al Franken resigned over allegations but no indictments. I remember Senator Kirsten Gillebrand was one of the big mouths demanding Franken resign. Where is her big mouth now?
Let’s remember ms. Klobuchar also pushed for Frankenstein to resign. I thought he should have fought it then and I think Melendez looks pretty guilty but he’s. One of The good old boys. WE need to clean house of those old farts.
I agree, he should have waited for the Ethics investigation. He struck me as being a decent legislator. I realize several women in the Senate demanded his resignation. Gillebrand just sent me a lot emails.
The whole, he should’ve told them to fuck off. All the way off. The corporate oligarchy, enabling party establishment is scared to death of smart, capable, progressive, colleagues.
Look at the 2020 primary. It took Bernie, Bloomberg, and Biden to keep Elizabeth Warren out of the White House. The base is holding us back. Well, that’s not true. Most of the constituents are holding us back, but we are led by the base. Always nominating the wrong person. That’s what we do.
Speaking as a New Jerseyan and as someone who typically votes Democrat, Bob Menendez should resign and more members of the Senate should call on him to do so. Both New Jersey politics and the Democratic Party are, ahem, prone to disappointment, but Menendez's continued holding of his office risks further damage to people's faith in these institutions. Not to mention he might be, you know, a criminal.
Menendez is a crook and needs to go! Fetterman is right and if Schumer can't get his head around what action would be appropriate re: Bob Da Crook, he needs to get the heave-ho too!
Schumer has been a total disappointment as majority leader. He consistently fails to wield the power of the office (did he not watch Moscow Mitch for all those years and learn anything???). This is another case of the same fecklessness.
All of the party leader ship along with everyone in the Senate, who takes corporate largess, are just as dirty as the GOP. There’s a leaven who don’t plus Bernie. Everyone else needs to get dragged into the street by the collar and not allowed back in and we just as well do the entire administration and the oath breaking federal judges. After all that are #Duty PerTheDeclaration.
As a former constituent of Al Franken I continue to be disgusted beyond words at the behavior that is being tolerated in the time since he was pressured to resign. His transgressions wouldn’t be on the radar today. I appreciate the opportunity to use his case to highlight this decline in our civilization.
I think a lot of people were jealous. I wish he hadn’t resigned but I read where previous allegations had made his life hell & he didn’t want to go through that again. Sad.
Menendez needs to resign NOW!
What does it take to replace Schumer as Majority Leader?
Menendez needs to resign. Like, yesterday. The longer he stays, the more damage he does to his own political party and it might even be possible that he could put a safe Democrat Senate seat into play in the November 2024 election.
After learning the details of this drama enacted by Robert and Nadine Menendez, I immediately communicated to my Governor, Phil Murphy, my choice of a brilliant replacement to the US Senate. Through the many years that Menendez has been my Senator I have praised him for much of his work and his ability to articulate important issues in NJ. BUT, I have no reservation in agreeing that he should resign and save us all another highly publicized agonizing corruption scandal.
A random thought: Senate Dems pushed Franken out because most of them probably didn't force themselves on women, so they could take the high ground. But frankly, I think most of them know they're getting money under the table, just not as blatantly as Menendez. And I'm saying this as a lifelong Democratic voter. How do you become a millionaire serving in Congress? It's not the salaries. See: Pelosi and the stock market.
If I remember correctly Franken wasn’t accused of “forcing himself on women”. The “kiss” was part of the script for a show the 2 did together to which she had agreed. The others I believe were mostly women who wanted their picture taken with “the Star” & then later complained he took advantage of squiring her too tight (& too high or low)
I think a lot of people, Dems included were jealous because there was talk of Franken for President.
That said, the media is down on all progessive Dems but loves “centrists” (corporatists)
I was a Minnesota resident and Franken supporter back in those days. It was the most baseless attack and an outrage that Democrats joined in before seeing any credible evidence that this occurred. I had my photo taken a few times with Al Franken and in classic fashion we stood with arms around each other. The same pose most take when asking for a photo. Al never failed to talk about his wife, Franni.
When I was at a campaign party for Al, I asked his wife if she knew where the bathroom was for guests. She took me by the hand through the crowd and pointed it out. That’s how they are. They are warm, genuine people. But I suppose a republican would have seen us and reported us as lesbians. 🙄
Republicans don’t seem to have people with any level of warmth.
Democrats should have stood against these typical right wing attackers. If credible evidence came forward, then they are obligated to take appropriate action. If only Republicans did this, they’d be cleaned out.
People like Menendez pull the party down and need to go. His crimes are very egregious.
Menendez has always been shady, and one wonders how much of this (allegedly) illicit money trail leads back to other leading Senators. Dems can't remain silent on this and then claim the moral high ground when conservatives + GOP types (take your pick) act lawlessly. They will be complicit with this low standard if they don't take action.
Jeff, It just goes to show ALL, ,,,, That REGARDLESS ! , What side, of the Bridge, You STAND ON,,,, MANKIND, in general, Has : GOOD, BAD, & UGLY, IN All Corners, of the " HOUSEHOLD !!" CHARACTER !, ,,,,is as Rare, ,,,, as CHICKENLIPPS !!! AMEN !
The loss of Al Franken from the Senate still saddens me. The voters of Minnesota should have made that decision. But the same logic should apply to Menendez - the voters of NJ should decide during his next election, and in the meantime, he should be stripped of as much power as possible.
If only there was a vacancy on the Supreme Court. If Menendez could be moved to the Supremes, the integrity of the Senate could be improved. After all, in the SCt, corruption doesn’t matter…
With Melendez, it's corruption plus risks to national security. He should be forced to clear out his office by the end of the week or this will haunt Democratic candidates, including Biden, in 2024.
NJ voters could have voted Menendez out in 2016. Lisa McCormick primaried him, but the corporate DNC backed the corrupt corporate Menendez because this is what the DNC always does: squash the progressive and back the corporate candidate because all of them want to keep the corporate donor money flowing. What the DNC wants isn’t necessarily what the people want. But not enough people knew about McCormick, and too many voters don’t bother with primaries.
What strikes me is the degree to which being a member of the old boy's club influences Schumer's actions. If Menendez were a progressive he'd have been given the boot long ago. Another reason why I vote only reluctantly for Democrats.
Man, I hear ya. Makes you want to go down there and motivate some of our representative folken to do better! A swift kick to the rear may improve cogitation.
Adam , The DEMS ! Better WAKE UP !, & put Their A....s , in GEAR ! THey * THINK, They 'have Time ! ' * BUT , ,,,, the GIANT CLAM!, ,,, Ain't goin ' to OPEN !, ONCE, it, CLAMPS SHUT !! ( TIME !, ....Will BE SHORTENED! )
Thank you, Judd, and PopInfo, for reminding us of the complete hypocrisy of many of our congressional representatives. As a democratic voter, this unethical behavior is white-hot infuriating, and the grossly unfair justice system that works for the rich and power-hungry and destroys average citizens, constantly
toys with our ability to process the cruelty and thievery.
These so-called leaders continue to behave as if they are still in high school, torturing and bullying the weak, competing on the most shallow of levels, and then sneaking out behind the school to smoke and get high. These people need to grow up, fulfill their constitutional oaths, or get the hell out of having ANY control over the lives of our fellow Americans. Fuck them!
I miss Al Franken. A thoughtful public servant, very observant guy, with the gifts of both silliness and honor, who continues to provide astute analysis of congressional goings-on with his podcasts. Thanks, Al.
I’m so glad you pointed out the hypocrisy of Schumer . . . Schumer who encouraged Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Claire McKaskill, and others to gang up on Franken--not because of his comedy routines--but because HE OUT SHINED THEM ALL. Schumer--the smug hypocrite who stood with the Trumps as they placated conservative Jews with relocation of the US Embassy, AS ISRAELI SOLDIERS OPENED FIRE AGAINST UNARMED, PALESTINIAN PROTESTORS, and PUTIN, as a part of the corrupt exchange, PERSONALLY DROVE A TRUCK IN THE CONVOY THAT INVADED CRIMEA.
Schumer is a mealy-mouth, smug, do-nothing who plays both sides for his own reward.
And, yes, Menendez needs to resign; he is an outright CROOK AND TRAITOR.
I Menendez is my senator, and I want him to resign. I will be calling his office today to tell him he has lost my vote and I will call my other senator, Corey Booker, and tell him I want him to encourage Menendez to resign.
^^^Same.
Tell him also his repeated actions are making Democrats in other states think about dropping their party affliation.
Really, based on what evidence?
Me for onle and many of my friends for more, not to mention strangers on social media who tell me the same. If your party can't stand on such basic principles against bribery, it's not a party, it's a cult.
You’re just making shit up bruh
Not your bruh Hudson. And yes they are but mostly it's politicians jumping shipping give the GOP more voting power in legislatures.
https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/4/11/23679162/louisiana-north-carolina-cotham-thompson-lacombe
Where you see it the most are moderate/conservative Democrats turned off by the over promotion of what they perceive as "radical" lefty ideas. Prime example are the Harvard student protesting for Hamas. There has to be better ways to support Palestinian civilians but condemn Hamas.
OTOH when Democrats are in the sweet spot it encourages moderate Republican voters to jump parties or at least go Independent.
First, none of these things support your claim that Menendez is somehow contributing to Democrats switching to Republicans. That is simply nothing but opportunism. And it certainly doesn’t happen because a Democrat office holder is fed up with corruption. JFC PLEASE
You see everything through a binary , lens of democrat and republican. First of all, there’s no difference second of all, you refer to moderate Democrats as if that’s a thing. That means Democrats, who are completely owned by their donor class contributors. The true progressives, in Congress, of which there are only 12 or a major threat to both parties.
We have a 5X elected sheriff under felony indictment on gun charges and I think he should resign. But he refuses. He was on leave because that’s apparently policy for police officers during an investigation into their actions. He has been showing up at police functions and has now decided to take himself off leave and go back to work because he says that owes it to those who elected him. Really. Having an indicted person in charge of a police department stepping back in to run it is just so odious. I think the same thing applies to Menéndez. He not only has this indictment, he has an earlier one from 2015. The smell emanating from this indictment I threatens to foil the Democratic Party.
On the other hand, I have always thought it a shame that Al Franken resigned over allegations but no indictments. I remember Senator Kirsten Gillebrand was one of the big mouths demanding Franken resign. Where is her big mouth now?
Let’s remember ms. Klobuchar also pushed for Frankenstein to resign. I thought he should have fought it then and I think Melendez looks pretty guilty but he’s. One of The good old boys. WE need to clean house of those old farts.
I agree, he should have waited for the Ethics investigation. He struck me as being a decent legislator. I realize several women in the Senate demanded his resignation. Gillebrand just sent me a lot emails.
The whole, he should’ve told them to fuck off. All the way off. The corporate oligarchy, enabling party establishment is scared to death of smart, capable, progressive, colleagues.
Look at the 2020 primary. It took Bernie, Bloomberg, and Biden to keep Elizabeth Warren out of the White House. The base is holding us back. Well, that’s not true. Most of the constituents are holding us back, but we are led by the base. Always nominating the wrong person. That’s what we do.
Suckling the conservative money teat, with her lips locked firmly in a DEATHGRIP! Pull too hard and head separates from body as protective measure.
Speaking as a New Jerseyan and as someone who typically votes Democrat, Bob Menendez should resign and more members of the Senate should call on him to do so. Both New Jersey politics and the Democratic Party are, ahem, prone to disappointment, but Menendez's continued holding of his office risks further damage to people's faith in these institutions. Not to mention he might be, you know, a criminal.
Truth
Menendez is a crook and needs to go! Fetterman is right and if Schumer can't get his head around what action would be appropriate re: Bob Da Crook, he needs to get the heave-ho too!
Schumer has been a total disappointment as majority leader. He consistently fails to wield the power of the office (did he not watch Moscow Mitch for all those years and learn anything???). This is another case of the same fecklessness.
Agreed. Schumer gets chumped every damn time. Why?
He doesn't want to offend his Wall Street owners. And he's afraid of his own shadow. Not exactly a tough guy from Brooklyn.
Well, someone once said "if it quacks..."
All of the party leader ship along with everyone in the Senate, who takes corporate largess, are just as dirty as the GOP. There’s a leaven who don’t plus Bernie. Everyone else needs to get dragged into the street by the collar and not allowed back in and we just as well do the entire administration and the oath breaking federal judges. After all that are #Duty PerTheDeclaration.
As a former constituent of Al Franken I continue to be disgusted beyond words at the behavior that is being tolerated in the time since he was pressured to resign. His transgressions wouldn’t be on the radar today. I appreciate the opportunity to use his case to highlight this decline in our civilization.
Al Frankenfield was a STAR!
I think a lot of people were jealous. I wish he hadn’t resigned but I read where previous allegations had made his life hell & he didn’t want to go through that again. Sad.
Menendez needs to resign NOW!
What does it take to replace Schumer as Majority Leader?
Menendez needs to resign. Like, yesterday. The longer he stays, the more damage he does to his own political party and it might even be possible that he could put a safe Democrat Senate seat into play in the November 2024 election.
Re the “hidden” cash and gold bars, why no reference anywhere, including in the indictment, of tax evasion? Did I just miss this?
Oh those were just gifts! The donor owes the taxes. I'm sure they were reported accordingly.
After learning the details of this drama enacted by Robert and Nadine Menendez, I immediately communicated to my Governor, Phil Murphy, my choice of a brilliant replacement to the US Senate. Through the many years that Menendez has been my Senator I have praised him for much of his work and his ability to articulate important issues in NJ. BUT, I have no reservation in agreeing that he should resign and save us all another highly publicized agonizing corruption scandal.
Resign? They should’ve thrown them out on his ass the minute those accusations became credible.
Good work. Now
Rank and file Democrats need to press their Democratic Senators to call for Menendez to resign.
Too bad I don't have a Democratic senator.
Same here. I'd be on the phone right now!
I’m from Florida so I have messaged Liz Warren, Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer, and Amy Klobuchar.
I don’t either in TN.
A random thought: Senate Dems pushed Franken out because most of them probably didn't force themselves on women, so they could take the high ground. But frankly, I think most of them know they're getting money under the table, just not as blatantly as Menendez. And I'm saying this as a lifelong Democratic voter. How do you become a millionaire serving in Congress? It's not the salaries. See: Pelosi and the stock market.
If I remember correctly Franken wasn’t accused of “forcing himself on women”. The “kiss” was part of the script for a show the 2 did together to which she had agreed. The others I believe were mostly women who wanted their picture taken with “the Star” & then later complained he took advantage of squiring her too tight (& too high or low)
I think a lot of people, Dems included were jealous because there was talk of Franken for President.
That said, the media is down on all progessive Dems but loves “centrists” (corporatists)
Yes!!! Agreed.
Progressives are too dang "radical" but them "centrists" r suuure lookin miiiighty attractive!
/s
I was a Minnesota resident and Franken supporter back in those days. It was the most baseless attack and an outrage that Democrats joined in before seeing any credible evidence that this occurred. I had my photo taken a few times with Al Franken and in classic fashion we stood with arms around each other. The same pose most take when asking for a photo. Al never failed to talk about his wife, Franni.
When I was at a campaign party for Al, I asked his wife if she knew where the bathroom was for guests. She took me by the hand through the crowd and pointed it out. That’s how they are. They are warm, genuine people. But I suppose a republican would have seen us and reported us as lesbians. 🙄
Republicans don’t seem to have people with any level of warmth.
Democrats should have stood against these typical right wing attackers. If credible evidence came forward, then they are obligated to take appropriate action. If only Republicans did this, they’d be cleaned out.
People like Menendez pull the party down and need to go. His crimes are very egregious.
Al Franken was probably the best Senator in the Senate at the time. I think he made others jealous.
Menendez has always been shady, and one wonders how much of this (allegedly) illicit money trail leads back to other leading Senators. Dems can't remain silent on this and then claim the moral high ground when conservatives + GOP types (take your pick) act lawlessly. They will be complicit with this low standard if they don't take action.
Jeff, It just goes to show ALL, ,,,, That REGARDLESS ! , What side, of the Bridge, You STAND ON,,,, MANKIND, in general, Has : GOOD, BAD, & UGLY, IN All Corners, of the " HOUSEHOLD !!" CHARACTER !, ,,,,is as Rare, ,,,, as CHICKENLIPPS !!! AMEN !
Completely agree.
The loss of Al Franken from the Senate still saddens me. The voters of Minnesota should have made that decision. But the same logic should apply to Menendez - the voters of NJ should decide during his next election, and in the meantime, he should be stripped of as much power as possible.
If only there was a vacancy on the Supreme Court. If Menendez could be moved to the Supremes, the integrity of the Senate could be improved. After all, in the SCt, corruption doesn’t matter…
I thought about Clarence Thomas as I read this.
A K A , * SCROTUS * ,,,,,,,, !
With Melendez, it's corruption plus risks to national security. He should be forced to clear out his office by the end of the week or this will haunt Democratic candidates, including Biden, in 2024.
NJ voters could have voted Menendez out in 2016. Lisa McCormick primaried him, but the corporate DNC backed the corrupt corporate Menendez because this is what the DNC always does: squash the progressive and back the corporate candidate because all of them want to keep the corporate donor money flowing. What the DNC wants isn’t necessarily what the people want. But not enough people knew about McCormick, and too many voters don’t bother with primaries.
2018, that is.
What strikes me is the degree to which being a member of the old boy's club influences Schumer's actions. If Menendez were a progressive he'd have been given the boot long ago. Another reason why I vote only reluctantly for Democrats.
Me too, except voting for a Repub (or third party, or abstaining) is out of the question. 😖
More people need to see the final portion of what you said HulitC. Abstaining IS out of the question.
There IS !, ONLY ONE CHOICE !! ( AND it is NOT !! * kim jun unn ! LAND !)
Man, I hear ya. Makes you want to go down there and motivate some of our representative folken to do better! A swift kick to the rear may improve cogitation.
Adam , The DEMS ! Better WAKE UP !, & put Their A....s , in GEAR ! THey * THINK, They 'have Time ! ' * BUT , ,,,, the GIANT CLAM!, ,,, Ain't goin ' to OPEN !, ONCE, it, CLAMPS SHUT !! ( TIME !, ....Will BE SHORTENED! )
Thank you, Judd, and PopInfo, for reminding us of the complete hypocrisy of many of our congressional representatives. As a democratic voter, this unethical behavior is white-hot infuriating, and the grossly unfair justice system that works for the rich and power-hungry and destroys average citizens, constantly
toys with our ability to process the cruelty and thievery.
These so-called leaders continue to behave as if they are still in high school, torturing and bullying the weak, competing on the most shallow of levels, and then sneaking out behind the school to smoke and get high. These people need to grow up, fulfill their constitutional oaths, or get the hell out of having ANY control over the lives of our fellow Americans. Fuck them!
I miss Al Franken. A thoughtful public servant, very observant guy, with the gifts of both silliness and honor, who continues to provide astute analysis of congressional goings-on with his podcasts. Thanks, Al.
I’m so glad you pointed out the hypocrisy of Schumer . . . Schumer who encouraged Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Claire McKaskill, and others to gang up on Franken--not because of his comedy routines--but because HE OUT SHINED THEM ALL. Schumer--the smug hypocrite who stood with the Trumps as they placated conservative Jews with relocation of the US Embassy, AS ISRAELI SOLDIERS OPENED FIRE AGAINST UNARMED, PALESTINIAN PROTESTORS, and PUTIN, as a part of the corrupt exchange, PERSONALLY DROVE A TRUCK IN THE CONVOY THAT INVADED CRIMEA.
Schumer is a mealy-mouth, smug, do-nothing who plays both sides for his own reward.
And, yes, Menendez needs to resign; he is an outright CROOK AND TRAITOR.
Well said