Whose Side?

 New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez has been indicted on corruption charges has been called upon by fellow senators to resign. The laundry list of charges: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion. The indictment alleges they received bribes included “cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other items of value.”

It is at this point that I feel that I should include Senator Bob's party affiliation is Democrat. Senator Bob's response to the suggestion that he vacate his office? "I'm not going anywhere."

Now you might think that Republicans might rise up at this point and join in a chorus of "throw the bum out." There are those who fall directly into their opposing camps, but interestingly there are some subtleties that bear some inspection. A Representative from New York pointed out that Senator Bob is "innocent until proven guilty" and “due process is important," adding that the senator “has the right to defend himself.” This member of Congress is a Republican. 

And he is also George Santos, who was arrested in May and pleaded not guilty to seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the U.S. House of Representatives. Representative George has ignored suggestions that he should resign since then. 

Meanwhile, there are also plenty of fringe voices who insist that this is all a part of some chicanery on the part of the Democratic Party to give the appearance that all of these federal indictments are fair. The claim that there is a "two tiered system of justice in America" with one lane for Republicans and another for everyone else took a hit when Senator Bob was indicted. Which is exactly what "they" want us to see, according to those with their ear to the ground, ignoring common sense. "They" are willing to sacrifice their one guy from New Jersey to throw everyone else off the scent of Hunter Biden's laptop. 

Or something like that. 

Which makes me glad that I took some time out this past Sunday to watch Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.