Have you ever wondered what Abraham Lincoln would have looked like if he dressed like Pennsylvania U.S. Senator John Fetterman? Personally, I think they look a lot alike. But there’s also the question of what Honest Abe would have done if he were serving in the Senate with bribe-taking New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez who was just indicted on multiple counts of being on take, including from foreign lobbyists? Would Lincoln have the courage to ask Menendez to resign even if they were serving in the same party? And let’s be honest, in today’s world, the abolitionist president would be a Democrat, not a Republican.
As a practical matter, the political calendar does not afford Schumer and other Senate Democrats the luxury of waiting until the conclusion of a trial before making a judgment on Menendez’s conduct. Menendez is facing reelection next year, and the New Jersey primary will be held in June 2024, which is likely before Menendez’s case goes to trial. Democrats will have to decide whether to support Menendez’s reelection campaign or back a different candidate.
High-ranking elected Democrats in New Jersey, including the Governor, have called on Menendez to resign. Most of the New Jersey Democrats in the U.S. House are also calling for his resignation. But thus far, most Senate Democrats — the people with the power to remove Menendez — have decided to stay silent. Only Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has called on Menendez to resign.
Of course, Lincoln served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives but never in the Senate. And, while not as certain as portrayed in the movie Lincoln, it’s possible that he was not above using a little bribery to win passage of the 13th Amendment. In contrast, however, Menendez was less interested in abolishing slavery than it getting a free $60,000 Mercedes for his wife.
In any case, I’m pleased that Fetterman has no time for niceties and understood immediately that all presumptions of innocence aside, that’s a procedural legal matter and Menendez should immediately resign in disgrace. It’s another example of why I enthusiastically endorsed Fetterman. It confirms my faith in him and belief that he’d fill a niche in the Senate that was sorely lacking.
“Senator Menendez should resign. 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,” Fetterman said in a statement on Saturday. “I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial.”
Compare that to the statement Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made:
“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.”
Who would you rather have representing you?
Sherrod Brown (OH) is also on record now urging Menendez to resign. I think there may be another Senator who has entered the chat to say the same thing. Fetterman definitely got the ball rolling, much to his credit. If I had been in Pennsylvania last election season, I would have voted for him in a heartbeat.
the floodgates have opened.
Indeed. I was just overhearing some of what my wife was watching on MSNBC. Sounded like well over a dozen Democratic Senators have now told Menendez to take a hike.
Schumer is awful. I’ve never liked him. Fetterman easily is the better representative.