Just to show that the DOJ doesn't really care who does what... If you break the law, they come for you.

Biden doesn't care either.

So, Trump entire BS that this is weaponization is just another lie.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-bob-menendez-indicted-federal-charges-rcna111447

Common sense among MAGA Gopers is non existent. So expectations on them understanding a simple concept like that goes straight out the window.

As I said in another thread, finally a story with a little meat on the bone. There was actual evidence involved that looks damning. Enough actual evidence to get an indictment. A case which no matter your party affiliation or political leanings I believe people are willing to see it and understand that gravity of it. Not try to blame it on politics, make excuses, try to cast shade in the other direction without such evidence as a form of distraction for what he did. It would be nice to see more of that.

Without a doubt, it looks like they got him....Worst part is he got away with it in I think 2018 or something like that. I guess he thought he could do it again.

Dude's been crooked as a dog's hind leg for years. It was only a matter of time.

Resign plz

I hope he drags it out until after the 2024 elections, then steps down only after his seat is safely in the democrats column. Why should we rush to push out a D vote when we see what the red team allows? I know I know, we have a sense of morality and dignity, but at this point in time, maybe we should relax those strict standards to keep from being our own undoing. I think he should go too, but my focus is on the bigger picture until Trump is no longer a threat.

Because if you're going to claim how disgusted you are they do it, you shouldn't be a hypocrite about it.

this level of thinking is no better than corrupt Republicans.

Something we finally agree on.

Nah bro this ain’t it. I love fighting with fire as much as the next guy, but not when it comes to elected officials committing crimes. There’s a line.

I agree with you. It's sickening what's going on with the R side of things and Trump's numerous indictments, but we sure as hell don't want a slippery slope.

I agree with you all as well. But the slippery slope ship has sailed down a steep double black diamond slope and disappeared in the distance leaving only dust in their wake on the right side of that slippery slope. You know like George Santos and company. And you know what Goper’s would say if the aging Biden froze like Mitch not once but twice.

I think it would most likely be more accurate to say we shouldn't follow down the slippery slope that has been put in place by the right.

Yeah bringing a knife to a gun fight is what democrat liberals usually do. Lying down and taking it while the MAGA Gopers drag our democracy right down the NAZi path. Liberals are acting like the Jews in Germany. “This opposition leadership won’t last and we’ll be free again. No need to fight it.”

Yes, there is a line for the left. And removing him will give the right equal seats on the senate if a GOPer fills his seat. So, all of you would rather hurry up and rid ourselves of Mendez thereby giving a possible Trump presidency a super majority? SMH. I think fighting the fascist right is more important than when he gets his. Is Santos still a congressman? Damn right he is, because the right doesn’t care about anything but destroying our democracy. So, y’all should think things thru before you jump IMO.

So you're saying the consequences of him leaving would mean there would be an election? You do realize that the odds of him being reelected with these criminal indictments are slim to none and the Dems would be much better off running a different candidate anyway, right?

No, an appointment would be made. The Governor will fill his seat until the end of his term or until a special election depending on the State. Then there will be an election.

The current governor is a dem, but that’s no guarantee he will appoint a dem. I wouldn’t trust a dem like Manchin to appoint a dem…

And I have no idea when his term ends, so I was only talking 2024, because I don’t want to give Trump any edge in any way.

So it's your contention then that a governor that was elected as a democrat might risk ruining his political future by naming a Republican to take over that seat? I'm just curios and want to make sure that's your actual contention here because if that's what you're indicating I don't see that as making any sense at all.

Yes he’d loose the next election if he runs. But why should he step down now? He’s pleaded not guilty, Innocent until proven guilty as they say on the right. The Gopers have given us a boat load shady candidates proven unfit and none are going anywhere. The leading republican for potus has been indicted in several states and is out on bail waiting trial and isn’t going anywhere. Fair s fair …. You know what they say..whats good for the goose

Do you know the NJ governor? I don’t. And right now I don’t trust any politician to do the RIGHT thing. Do you think Manchin or Sinema (supposed dems) as governors would appoint a dem?

So you are making an accusation about a what if scenario that might happen which politically makes no sense based on a governor you know nothing about? Once again, logic dictates a a governor that was elected as democrat appointing a republican to fill his seat is political suicide. Maybe you can come up with something that makes more sense than that which is better than, "You don't know him and neither do I".

So you're reasoning is "Well little Johnnie did it!"

When you start doing everything the republicans do that you think is wrong, you become the same as the republicans. For me that's not a very good excuse to do the wrong thing.

I think most objective people have seen the slope the GOP has created, which is why the GOP has gotten its ass handed to it for the most part since '16. My hope is that it happens again in 2024. At that point, Trump will be pretty much done and/or in jail. Fingers crossed for a renaissance on that side of the aisle, but one thing at a time.

I don't see any rational reason why Phil Murphy would nominate a Republican. In fact, Menendez stepping down and Phil likely putting a Democrat in place would - in my mind - be the best case scenario for the Dems, who once again would show themselves in a much better light to objective voters.

Stop making sense!

Why risk it is all I’m saying. Mendez will face his offenses in court in due time. Remember when we ousted Al Franken?

He pleaded not guilty in this case. He has a legal right. He is innocent until proven guilty. Stepping down is basically admitting guilt. I don’t expect him to step down. As much as we hate it, Fair is fair. Innocent until proven guilty.

Fair is fair. I don't want anyone who has been criminally indicted to be a government official. And I don't care which party they belong to. We've actually seen the pictures of 500k and gold bars in his home. Anyone who has bothered to look knows there's a mountain of evidence against him. There is not only the question of guilt or innocence here, there's the question of ethics. Or the total and utter lack there of in this case.

And I know ethics doesn't mean as much to some people as it used to. That still doesn't mean it shouldn't. IMO- not removing him now will hurt more than it helps come election time.

Centrists, PFFT.

Extremist view. "We don't think trump is fit to be president because of his criminal indictments but we think Menendez should remain in office." Hypocrisy.

I don’t think trump is fit because he’s a fascist authoritarian would-be dictator and a traitor who has said he will end our institutions if reelected. He absolutely plans to end our democracy. But hey, smoke that centrist ish all you want there PIT. But I’m done with your petty ass attack for today. So kick rocks.

So what? we’ve seen violent insurrection live on tv and that’s not stopping Goper’s pal.

As much as we all hate it. The law is the law. Menendez has a legal leg to stand on and he’s not going to step down period. He pleaded not guilty so he’ll take to the courts. Face the facts.

Doesn't matter if he steps down now. The governor of NJ is a Dem. He'll appoint a Dem as a replacement.

Kinda what can happen in Kentucky if Mitch can't remain in office.

Don't?


That's funny.

I'm struggling to reconcile what you're saying here with your tenor in the various Trump threads...

Huh?

Obviously we can see what tenor being used is a direct result of which party is involved. And that's just sad.

Why? It’s pretty simple. Precedents have been set. Why should a different set of rules now apply to Dems?

Set by whom? You allow the rules and morals to be set by someone else, or do you take ownership over how you look at things?

It looks like you need to start writing a lot of letters to democratic senators and tell them they're "smoking that centrist ish". The majority of them are calling for Menendez to step down. Even some of the ones you have promoted. Until you know, they agree with me. Here is the list.......

Senators
Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.)

Fetterman was the first senator, from either party, to come out against Menendez. He released a brief statement Saturday.

“Senator Menendez should resign,” Fetterman said. “He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations.”

“I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial,” he added.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio)

Brown on Monday became the second Senate Democrat to call on Menendez to resign.

“Senator Menendez has broken the public trust and should resign from the U.S. Senate,” Brown said in a statement.
Sen. Peter Welch (Vt.)

Welch called for Menendez to resign from his position in a statement Monday evening.

“Senator Menendez is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Welch wrote Monday in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “But the people of New Jersey and the United States Senate are entitled to an effective Senator.”

“The shocking and specific allegations against Senator Menendez have wholly compromised his capacity to be that effective Senator,” Welch added. “I encourage Senator Menendez to resign.”
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.)

Baldwin was the first of multiple senators to issue statements calling for her Democratic colleague to resign Tuesday morning.

“The indictment spells out deeply troubling allegations against Senator Menendez that breach the American people’s trust and compromise his ability to effectively represent his constituents,” Baldwin said in a statement.

“While Senator Menendez enjoys the presumption of innocence until proven guilty and will have his day in court to defend himself, I believe it’s best for his constituents, the American people, and our national security for the Senator to step down.”
Sen. Jon Tester (Mont.)

Tester released a short statement soon after Baldwin Tuesday morning.

“I’ve read the detailed charges against Senator Menendez and find them deeply disturbing. While he deserves a fair trial like every other American, I believe Senator Menendez should resign for the sake of the public’s faith in the U.S. Senate,” he wrote.
Sen. Bob Casey (Pa.)

And Casey released a statement soon after that.

“Public service is a sacred trust,” he wrote. “The specific allegations set forth in the federal indictment indicate to me that Senator Menendez violated that trust repeatedly. While he is entitled to the presumption of innocence, serving in public office is a privilege that demands a higher standard of conduct. Senator Menendez should resign.”

Sen. Jacky Rosen (Nev.)

Rosen became the fourth senator Tuesday morning to call on Menendez to step down.

“The well-documented political corruption charges are a violation of the public trust, and Senator Menendez should resign,” she said in a statement. “While he is entitled to due process and a fair trial, this is a distraction that undermines the bipartisan work we need to do in the Senate for the American people.”

Sen. Mark Kelly (Ariz.)

In a statement Tuesday, Kelly called for Menendez to step down and called the allegations “serious and alarming.”

“Senator Menendez has the same constitutional rights and presumption of innocence as any other American,” Kelly said in a statement Tuesday. “However, serving as a U.S. Senator is a position of public trust. These are serious and alarming allegations of corruption and bribery involving his service in the United States Senate.

“That’s a breach of that trust and a burden I believe will prevent him from fully serving. He should resign,” Kelly added.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)

Warren told the Boston Globe that it was time for Menendez to go.

“Yes,” she reportedly said when asked if Menendez should resign. “These are serious charges, and it’s time for Sen. Menendez to step away from the Senate and concentrate on his legal defense.”

Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.)

Longtime Menendez ally and friend Booker joined the list of senators Tuesday calling for him to resign, arguing that it was not an admission of guilt.

“As Senator Menendez prepares to mount his legal defense, he has stated that he will not resign. Senator Menendez fiercely asserts his innocence and it is therefore understandable that he believes stepping down is patently unfair,” Booker said. “But I believe this is a mistake.”

“Stepping down is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgment that holding public office often demands tremendous sacrifices at great personal cost. Senator Menendez has made these sacrifices in the past to serve. And in this case he must do so again,” he continued. “I believe stepping down is best for those Senator Menendez has spent his life serving.”
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)

Markey was among a number of senators who started tweeting their calls for Menendez to resign later on Tuesday.

“The public’s trust has been broken. Senator Menendez should resign,” he wrote.
Sen. Michael Bennett (Colo.)

“As with all Americans, Senator Menendez must be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and will face his day in court. The nature of these charges erodes public trust in Congress. No one is entitled to serve in the U.S. Senate, and he should step aside,” Bennett tweeted.
Sen. Martin Heinrich (N.M.)

“The charges against Senator Menendez are serious and very troubling. While he deserves a fair trial, his constituents and our nation deserve a senator solely focused on delivering for the good of our country. Senator Menendez should step aside,” Heinrich wrote on X.
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)

“I urge Senator Menendez to resign. He is entitled to equal justice under the law just as every American is, but he is not entitled to a Senate seat,” Hassan wrote on X.
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)

“As Senators, we serve in positions of public trust. While Senator Menendez is innocent until proven guilty, the heart of the allegations erodes public trust,” Hirono tweeted.

“As such, I believe he should step down.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)

Klobuchar said that while she does not believe Menendez will resign, he should, according to Star Tribune reporter Hunter Woodall.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)

Gillibrand joined the calls for Menendez to resign in a press conference, according to a tweet from WNYC reporter Brigid Bergin.
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.)

Warnock issued a statement shortly after 1 p.m. “The covenant we have with the American people is sacred, and ensuring the public we work for them and not other interests is paramount. Senator Menendez should step aside and resign,” he wrote on X.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)

Blumenthal told reporters Tuesday he believes Menendez should resign, while noting the New Jersey lawmaker is “entitled to a presumption of innocence and a fair trial just like any criminal defendant.”

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)

Murphy, the chairman of the Foreign Relations subcommittee on the Middle East, joined the calls for resignation on Tuesday. He also said an inquiry needs to be launched into Egypt’s behavior toward the committee.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)

Duckworth, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told reporters Tuesday, “I’ve already said that because of how egregious the charges are, it probably behooves him to step down in order to mount his defense.”

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)

Stabenow, the chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Committee and No. 3 Senate Democrat, said in a statement Tuesday evening that “The allegations against Senator Bob Menendez are very concerning. While he deserves his presumption of innocence, I believe it’s best for him to step down from the U.S. Senate.”

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)

Durbin, the No. 2-ranking Senate Democrat, on Wednesday wrote on X that “Leaders in New Jersey, including the Governor and my Senate colleague Cory Booker, have made it clear that Sen. Menendez can no longer serve. He should step down.”

Sen. Patty Murray (Was.)

Murray, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined the chorus of calls for Menendez’s resignation Wednesday. She also went a step farther, calling on the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate her colleague if he refuses to step down, which he so far has.

“The charges against Senator Menendez are extremely serious and the details released are deeply disturbing — while Senator Menendez is entitled to his day in court, I believe he should step down and focus on his legal defense,” Murray said on X on Wednesday.

Since this article was printed in Tuesday, the list of senate democrats calling for him to resign has increased to 30.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate...-who-have-called-for-menendez-to-resign/

There is also a list of democratic house members at the link calling for his resignation as well. It looks like you have a lot of homework to do preaching to all of them about what a bunch of centrist POS they all are.

Like I didn’t know they would? Come on man, dems always do the right thing. But they are fighting with MAGA GOPers who will never do the right thing. Every D we boot ourselves is just another giveaway to the right. I know you can’t seem to wrap around that, but some of us are sick and tired of fighting these fascists with our hands tied.

It's not a giveaway to the right. The democratic governor is NOT going to appoint a Republican to that seat. You have provided absolutely nothing of substance that indicates he would. Do you really believe that all of these democratic senators, the gov. of N.J along with many other top democrats IN N.J. would call for his resignation if they thought Gov. Murphey would appoint a Republican? I mean really?