We are at an inflection point in the American democratic experiment.
The question posed by Lincoln in his Gettysburg address must be asked again: Can a nation founded on principles of liberty and justice “long endure”?
Democratic norms we have long taken for granted are threatened by a Republican Party in the grip of Trump extremists who favor a “soft fascism” modeled on Viktor Orban’s Hungary, which demands a gerrymandered majority and a compliant judiciary. The rot in the Republican Party runs deep.
But the stench of rot and corruption has arisen in our own party, with appalling details emerging from the indictment filed against Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Appeals to the Justice Department for favors. Suits stuffed with hundred-dollar bills. Stashes of gold bullion. A Mercedes Benz C300 convertible. Favors from the head of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.
Two gold bars Federal agents found while searching Menendez' home
A jacket bearing Menendez' name, along with cash from envelopes found inside the jacket
Although the Justice Department’s moves undercut Trump’s claims that Merritt Garland has “weaponized” the judicial system against him and his associates, we must do more.
Menendez must resign. Now.
Yes, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence. Yes, he is entitled to a fair trial. But the honorable thing to do is to resign, defend—and if innocent, return.
Menendez has been dogged by claims of unethical behavior throughout his career. Six years ago, he was tried on corruption charges that ended with a hung jury—but also with a formal rebuke from the Senate Ethics Committee.
Enough is enough.
We cannot abide any suggestion that Democrats operate under a double standard. How long before we hear the cries of “whataboutism” from Mar-a-Lago?
It is encouraging that Governor Murphy, Congressman Andy Kim and others have taken the moral high ground. Now it is time to pressure Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to do the same. Anything less compromises our ethical standards and our Senate majority. Living our values means doing the right thing. Even when it’s hard.
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