Wednesday was the day of reckoning for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). In an all-too-rare moment in which the system actually worked, Menendez was given 11 years in prison for trading the power of his position for such baubles as gold bars, a Mercedes Benz, cash, and assorted goodies.
The New York Post reported that Menendez broke down in tears at his sentencing, proclaiming, “Your honor, you have before you a chastened man. I have dedicated my entire life to the service of others. I am far from a perfect man, but I believe in my half-century of public service, I have done more good than bad.” He even dabbed his eyes with a tissue for effect. Manhattan federal Judge Sidney Stein was unmoved and remarked, “Somewhere along the way, you became, I’m sorry to say, a corrupt politician.” And the nominee for understatement of the year is…
Menendez headed up the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and was in charge of dispensing military aid to other countries. He favored countries such as Egypt and Qatar in exchange for all sorts of "considerations." His wife reportedly cooed to an Egyptian official, "What can the love my life do for you?" Among other things, the former senator ghost-wrote a letter to unfreeze $300 million in aid to Egypt, which was withheld over suspected human rights violations. He also leveraged his power to try and force the Department of Agriculture to give businessman Wael Hana a monopoly on approving the exportation of halal meat to Egypt and attempted to influence the outcome of a trial of insurance broker Jose Uribe. That effort resulted in Menendez's wife being gifted with the Benz.
The Post noted:
Agents who raided the Menendezes’ cluttered Englewood Cliffs house in June 2022 found 13 gold bars worth $150,000 tucked inside a bedroom safe. Nearly $500,000 in cash was spread out all over the house— including wads of bills totaling $14,500 piled into a pair of Timberland work boots and cash-filled envelopes stuffed into the pockets of his official Senate jacket.
The National Pulse stated that Menendez had faced charges of bribery, extortion, and obstruction of justice. Whatever political aspirations he may have had, Menendez made history on Wednesday by becoming the first U.S. senator to be sentenced for working as a foreign agent. His wife Nadine can drive her Benz to her trial, which begins on March 18. She is charged with "receiving payments for a non-existent job."
Menendez definitely became enthralled with wealth, but in the back of his head, he may have honestly thought he was entitled to his cache of loot. For that matter, how and when he actually serves his time is up for speculation. But his fate was decided on the same day in which members of the Senate tried to roast RFK Jr. by repeating a measles mantra, and during which Liz Warren almost passed out from the faux outrage that likely masked a very real fear shared among many in the legislative branch that not only might the sources of their wealth and influence be cut off, but they might become known to the American public. These people are not protecting the republic or even their democracy in whatever form they need it to take at any given moment; they are protecting themselves. Menendez got caught. Warren and her compatriots would like to avoid his fate. Warren and the rest may not be engaging in criminal activity, but they would like to keep the gravy train moving and under wraps.
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Bernie Sanders was another pharisee hoping to take Kennedy to the woodshed. Sanders was once questioned about his wealth and his two homes despite his continuing endorsement of socialism. Sanders replied with words to the effect of "I wrote a book. If you write a book, maybe you can be a millionaire, too." Democrats who have either achieved or wish to attain the privileges of the upper echelon of society are quick to shout, “Liberté, égalité, fraternité!” when the cameras are on while whispering, "Let them eat cake" when they are off-mic. But the disconnect goes beyond mere greed. Unless you have ever been a Progressive, you cannot possibly understand the mindset. On one hand, you know that there are people in genuine need, those who are genuinely struggling and downtrodden. Maybe some of them are yearning to breathe free. But you also enjoy being able to sew gold into the lining of your suit, and you love your entourage and the media hits on CNN (or whatever is left of it). So, if you are a Menendez or any other given member of the Left's power structure, you convince yourself that you are entitled to your good fortune by virtue of your political opinions. But to offset that, you call Trump a dictator, Elon Musk a Nazi, and conservatives racist. Then, if you are Menendez, you squirrel away your wealth, hoping no one will do the math. If you are Sanders, you preach one thing, live another, and gloss over criticism. If you are Warren, you lose all self-control and composure so everyone will focus on the opposition, not you.
Good work, if you can get it.
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