Pelosi still has significant pull in the party. She released a message on menendez stepping down and now Booker and Klochuchar had called for menendez to step down.
He should be gone immediately. There's plenty of smoke and he'd be replaced by a Democratic governor. There's no point in keeping this slimeball around.
Corey Booker in 2017 on speculations of expelling Menendez should he be convicted that year: "I find that a bit offensive. We still hold true to the principle in this country that you’re innocent until proven guilty and to even engage in that kind of hypothetical, I think, is unfair and wrong... I’m not going to entertain what’s happening after this trial." Back then, Chris Christie would get to appoint a replacement. But we're otherwise in the same place again -- indicted but not yet convicted. Maybe Booker found out since then that Menendez is garbage. But Phil Murphy probably has a lot more to do with it. None of that, of course, addresses his 2017 moral objection to even think about the expulsion of a senator who hasn't been convicted of a crime. I'm not saying that Booker shouldn't be calling for his resignation, I just wish he and the others on that list could have found different moral principles back in 2017.
My guess as to the "why"... They know that menendez would be replaced by a Democrat by the Governor anyway. They hope to leverage him continuing as a senator as a "corruption talking point" They know that pushing for his removal from office opens up questions about their own corrupt republican office holders (eg santos).
Not unless a DEM replaces him....we lost out on Merick Garland on the Supreme court and Franken as a senator by being p*****s....**** the GOP fight fire with fire. DD
I don't see how Merrick Garland is connected to Al Franken. Franken was replaced by Tina Smith and there was no impact to Democrats' seat count in the Senate.
I think #3 is the biggest reason. That they worry pushing Menendez out will lead to a push to remove Republican politicians. I will also note that when the problems came Out about Andrew Cuomo there were those in the Right who defended him.
I'd applaud the Republicans for at least being consistent in insisting on a conviction before removal of both Democrats and Republicans. But, it just so happens that their self-interest is well-aligned. I am certain that if the governor was a Republican, their concern would be out the window and they'd be calling for his head. And not to make this a both-sides thing, but it is a both sides thing. Dems protected Menendez in 2017 for their self-interest and pretend to be anti-corruption now because it aligns with their self-interest. The number of politicians with actual moral scruples is vanishingly small. They just pick a moral argument when the rhetoric is useful.
A real push for anti-corruption would be to reintroduce relevant corruption laws that the McDonnell v. US decision defanged. Ofc, Clarence and Alito would spend entire summers back at their labs to defang that, but it has to be done to reflect public interest and outrage. Congress didn't do anything after Citizens United to fine tune and redefine campaign finance laws. That would be the big bite. This is a smaller chewable morsel to reduce white collar crime in Washington.
