Why Republicans in Congress arent condemning corrupt politicians – The Hill
Last month, a federal grand jury indicted Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine on charges of bribery. Menendez allegedly provided sensitive information to the Egyptian government and assisted a businessman whose company certified halal meat imports. Following a text by his wife to an Egyptian contact — “Anytime you need anything you have my number and we will make everything happen” — Menendez expressed his “concern about the stalled negotiations” over a dam on the Nile River to State and Treasury Department officials.
In return, the couple allegedly received more than $500,000 in cash, “much of it stuffed in envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and a safe deposit box”; gold bars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars; a Mercedes-Benz convertible; payments toward a home mortgage; compensation for a “low-or-no-show” job; and “other items of value.” Menendez, denouncing a rush “to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat,” has pled not guilty.
31 Senate Democrats have called for Menendez’s resignation. Pointing to “shocking allegations of corruption and specific, disturbing details of wrongdoing,” Cory Booker, the other senator from New Jersey, declared that the faith and trust of citizens in his state, which are “essential to our ability to do our work and perform our duties … has been shaken to the core,” and urged Menendez to step down.
The response from congressional Republicans has been dramatically different.
No Republican senators have publicly called for Menendez’s resignation. Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Ted Cruz maintain Menendez deserves a fair trial, a claim no one disputes. While acknowledging the charges are “serious and troubling,” Sen. Tom Cotton declared Menendez “should be judged by jurors and New Jersey voters,” and pointed to the “troubling record of failure and corruption” of the Department of Justice “in cases of public figures.”
At first, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called the evidence in the indictment of Menendez “pretty black and white.” Asked if the senator should resign, McCarthy replied, “Yeah, very much so.” But a few days later, when a reporter wondered whether New York Rep. George Santos — who lied about the universities he attended; his volleyball prowess at Baruch College; employment at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs; Jewish lineage; his mother’s presence at the Twin Towers on 9/11; and has been indicted for fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds — should resign as well, McCarthy changed his tune. “I think George could have his day in court,” he said, “and I think Menendez could have his day in court.” Reminded of his previous statement about Menendez, McCarthy opined, “It could be his choice of what he wants to do, yes.”
Preserving the Republicans’ slim majority in the House of Representatives was a factor in the refusal of all but Sen. Mitt Romney and a dozen GOP congressmen and women to call for the resignation of Santos.
But the elephant in the room is the former president. As McCarthy discovered, demanding that Menendez and/or Santos step down requires explaining why the same logic doesn’t apply to Trump, who has been criminally indicted four times. An explanation neither McCarthy — who told his colleagues in January 2021 that Trump should resign, and then made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago to ask forgiveness — nor the vast majority of Republicans want to make.
Nor is this the only recent example of Republicans’ obeisance to Trump.
Republican politicians have avoided commenting on the civil trial for Trump’s company, in which a judge has already found fraud that may result in the dissolution of his business empire. Or when the former president falsely accused Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, of committing “a treasonous act … so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been death.” Republicans in the House, who censured Rep. Adam Schiff in June for “misleading” the American public during investigations of then-President Trump, have not taken any action against Rep. Paul Gosar for tweeting, “In a better society, quislings like the strange sodomy-promoting General Milley would be hung.”
Do congressional Republicans really support law and order, with no one above the law; respect military leaders; and demand high ethical standards for government officials? Or do they sacrifice these principles to the personal and political interests of one man?
Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies at Cornell University. He is the co-author (with Stuart Blumin) of “Rude Republic: Americans and Their Politics in the Nineteenth Century.”
Originally posted here:
Why Republicans in Congress arent condemning corrupt politicians - The Hill
- The Republicans who still haven't endorsed Donald Trump - The Economist - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- 'Incredibly positive': Disability advocates commend Kansas Republicans' effort on waitlists Kansas Reflector - Kansas Reflector - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- The AZ Senate has repealed the 1864 abortion ban, after 2 Republicans join Dems - Arizona Mirror - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Voters could support abortion rights and Republicans in November - NPR - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- E&C Republicans Open Investigation into Allegations of Political Bias at Taxpayer-Funded NPR, Request Attendance ... - Energy and Commerce Committee - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Republicans, concerned about dairy industry, urge calm about H5N1 bird flu - STAT - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- House Republicans, Seeking Political Edge Amid College Protests, Spotlight Antisemitism - The New York Times - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- 2024 election poll: Trump vs. Biden and what Republicans and Democrats fear - NPR - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Republicans, Democrats, and Donald Trump Agree on One Thing: Marjorie Taylor Greene's Move to Oust Mike ... - Vanity Fair - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Kristi Noems dog-killing embodies the cruel phoneyness of todays Republicans - The Guardian - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Opinion | Republicans preferred China strategy is reckless and dangerous - The Washington Post - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Letter: Are the Democrats more faithful to the Constitution than the Republicans? Let's consider health care to answer ... - Salt Lake Tribune - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Republicans Call on NPRs Chief, Katherine Maher, to Testify on Bias - The New York Times - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- The 8 types of Democrats and Republicans in the House - ABC News - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene launches her plan to oust Speaker Johnson - The Washington Post - The Washington Post - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Tennessee's school voucher debate turns to competitive Republican state House and Senate primaries Tennessee ... - Tennessee Lookout - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Roy eyes steamroller agenda if Republicans sweep in November - Roll Call - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- The Governor of Kansas Vetoed Four Anti-Abortion Measures. Republicans Rammed Them Through Anyway. Mother ... - Mother Jones - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- House Republicans expand investigations into campus antisemitism - Inside Higher Ed - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Bill to Combat Antisemitism on Campuses Prompts Backlash From the Right - The New York Times - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- House Republicans Are Standing Up Against Antisemitic Mobs That Have Overrun America's Colleges & Universities - GOP.gov - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- This High-Ranking Republican Supports an Off-the-Wall Solution to Tackle Social Security's $22.4 Trillion Cash Shortfall - The Motley Fool - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Trump says Republicans always wanted to leave abortion law to states. That's false. - NBC News - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Stapilus: It's not how many Republicans there are, but what kind - Idaho Press - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- How House Republicans Are Responding To Campus Protests : The NPR Politics Podcast - NPR - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Republicans catching up with Democrats on mail-in voting - Washington Times - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Campus Protests Over Gaza Open a New Line of Attack for GOP in 2024 Election - The New York Times - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- After losing three straight times, are Republicans as invested in Vegas House seats? - The Nevada Independent - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Congressional Republicans announce resolution to overturn Biden tailpipe rule - The Hill - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- NC Senate Republicans advance bill forcing law enforcement cooperation with ICE NC Newsline - NC Newsline - May 5th, 2024 [May 5th, 2024]
- Republicans are airing out their inability to govern on 2024 campaign trail - The Washington Post - March 26th, 2024 [March 26th, 2024]
- Rep. Mike Gallagher to resign in April, narrowing House GOP vote margin to 1 - The Washington Post - March 26th, 2024 [March 26th, 2024]
- Some Republicans who supported Nikki Haley are still refusing to back Donald Trump - Firstpost - March 26th, 2024 [March 26th, 2024]
- North Dakota Republicans will caucus on the eve of Super Tuesday. Here is what to expect - The Associated Press - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Michigan Republicans chart their path forward after months of disarray - USA TODAY - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Analysis | A fifth of Trump supporters think he committed a serious crime - The Washington Post - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Opinion | Democracy is imperiled globally. Republicans aren't helping. - The Washington Post - The Washington Post - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Murphy: For Donald Trump And The Republicans, The Border Is Just A Moneymaking Grievance Machine That They ... - Senator Chris Murphy - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- In Georgia, Republicans and Democrats line up to run for office - The Atlanta Journal Constitution - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Republicans Who Like Putin - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- GOP life-at-conception bill scrutinized after Alabama IVF ruling - The Dallas Morning News - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Senate Republicans Block Murray and Duckworth Bill to Protect IVF After Flurry of Republican Statements Expressing ... - Senator Patty Murray - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Nikki Haley Defeats Trump in 2024 Washington, D.C., GOP Primary - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Republicans Nod to Trump's Influence in Race to Succeed McConnell - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Haley Is Still Struggling to Deal With Trump's Grip on Their Party - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Washington, D.C. Republican Primary Election 2024: Live Results - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- These two Republicans endorsed in dozens of Texas House races. One put his money where his mouth is. - KUT - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- The anti-voucher House Republicans spared from Abbotts wrath - The Texas Tribune - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Ukraine's troops are rationing ammunition. Yet House Republicans plan to take weeks to mull more aid - The Associated Press - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- In Texas races, Gov. Abbott targets fellow Republicans who oppose vouchers - The Washington Post - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Alaska Republicans head to the polls Tuesday with Trump, Haley and Ramaswamy on the ballot Alaska Beacon - Alaska Beacon - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Here's What's in the Bipartisan Spending Bill to Prevent a Partial Shutdown - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Trump Ballot Eligibility Ruling Elicits Mixed Reactions Ahead of Super Tuesday - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- 'Embarrassment': Republicans hit Austin hard during tense hearing over his hospitalization - POLITICO - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Republicans want earmarks for their districts but vote against spending bills - The Washington Post - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- On Israel, Trump Is Even Worse Than Biden - The Intercept - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Alabama IVF ruling leaves Republicans stuck between their base and the broader public - The Guardian US - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Analysis | Hunter Biden gives House Republicans the rebuttal they didn't want - The Washington Post - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Reflecting Congressional divisions over U.S. involvement with Ukraine, Republicans are more reluctant than ... - AP-NORC - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Murphy says Republicans want the border to be a mess - The Hill - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- 2 Republicans vie to take on vulnerable Democrat in November - Spectrum News - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Senate Republican Blocks Bill to Protect I.V.F. Treatment - The New York Times - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- The Idaho Republican Presidential Caucus is Saturday. Here's what to know. Idaho Capital Sun - Idaho Capital Sun - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Ignoring Warnings, G.O.P. Trumpeted Now-Discredited Allegation Against Biden - The New York Times - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Biden Calls Republicans in Congress 'Worse' Than Strom Thurmond - The New York Times - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- N.Y. Republicans Pick a Former Police Detective to Challenge Gillibrand - The New York Times - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Opinion: MAGA Republicans pushing to impeach President Biden don't seem to notice the egg on their faces - Los Angeles Times - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Republicans vote to make it harder to amend Missouri Constitution - The Associated Press - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Alabama IVF ruling spurs a GOP reckoning on conception bills - Roll Call - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- What's in the House Republican Mississippi Medicaid expansion bill? - Mississippi Today - February 27th, 2024 [February 27th, 2024]
- Trump Strengthens Grip on Capitol Hill as He Presses Toward Nomination - The New York Times - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Electability is all Democrats discussed in 2020. In 2024, Republicans don't care - NPR - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Trump Forces Terrified Republicans to Bend the Knee Yet Again - The New Republic - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Republicans Roll the Dice on the Border - National Review - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- House Republicans now have one of the smallest majorities in history - NBC News - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Senate Republicans are coming to grips with another Donald Trump nomination - NBC News - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- In States Where Republicans Banned Abortion With No Exception for Rape, Rape Led to 58979 Pregnancies Post-Roe - Vanity Fair - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- Why Hochul's budget is a headache for Suozzi - POLITICO - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- After Early Primary Victories, Republicans in Congress Fall in Line Behind Trump - The New York Times - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]
- New Hampshire exit polls: Republicans were just half of voters in their own primary - Reuters - January 25th, 2024 [January 25th, 2024]