Jews shouldn’t be the only ones smart enough to get a Day of Atonement and 24 hours devoted to thinking about what they should atone for and why. The rest of us need one too. In that way… In “The Empire Strikes Back,” the most serious of the Star Wars movies in terms of presenting some serious moral truths in an entertaining way, there is a scene in which Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker confront each other. Luke gets outfought and finally has two options: he can fall with no likelihood of rescue, or he can take Vader’s proffered help and save himself. “Come, join me,” Vader says. “Accept the dark force. It’s easier.”
This is such a fine treatise on morality, as it applies to politics AND every other aspect of life. I won't get off topic and mention another aspect that is currently on my list of things to abhor, but I so appreciate your saying what must be said and needs be said. Thank you.
I wrote to both my senators this morning - telling them exactly how I feel about this Menendez mess! Didnt send them the enclosed link only because I didnt think it would work on their emails. Looking back at the speed with which the Democrat higher-ups got rid of Al Franken?
Tell me - how is what he did (or possibly did NOT do-remember mostly anonymous) worse than this corrupt human being? This guy (Menendez) got away with this kind of dealing in 2015 - so figures he is untouchable? Well seems the Dems are treating him that way.
So "innocent until proven guilty"? And exactly where did those gold bars come from then?
Al Franken should not have been hounded out. That was a travesty, started by by Kirstin Gillibrand, the Senator from New York who wanted to run for president and wanted Franken out of her way.
I agree - on the other hand, I still like Gillibrand - she does a lot of good. Schumer? maybe its time for someone else to take over. And yeah, I was pissed about Franken & Gillibrand's role in it. But you all know - its hard to find a a representative who does EVERYTHING you want them to do - even Obama and in my mind, he was great.
She may do a lot of good, but she eliminated a lot of possible good in that body when she led the charge to chase Franken out. So I'm skeptical that that wasn't a net loss for the country.
But I do agree that it's hard to fine anyone on Capitol Hill or in the White House who does all good. Biden is close, he's the best president in my lifetime, and I feel like he's put the wind at my back, despite the fact that he's terrible on immigration. See letter #2--mine
In this case, the political cost of doing the right thing is small, since a Democrat governor would replace Menéndez with another Democrat. Therefore I must conclude that the thing preventing his expulsion is the conspiracy of the old boy network, and all those allowing him to remain are its equally guilty co-conspirators.
It should be the same thing that Mitch McConnell - of all people! - thought in 1995, when as the chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee - he called for the resignation or expulsion if necessary of Senator Bob Packwood, knowing there was a good likelihood the Democrats would take the seat (which they did, with Ron Wyden). Because it was the right thing. It's too bad Mitch has evolved backwards so much.
Please call your Democratic Senators and demand that they expel Menendez from the Senate. Every second that he remains in that body he gives credence to, “They’re all corrupt,” which gives fence sitters permission to make an uninformed decision to vote for any Republican.
This is the letter I sent to both my Democratic Senators.
“Please publicly call for the expulsion of Menendez. He is a disgrace as are the responses of Democratic Senatorial leaders Schumer and Durbin. It appears that only non-corrupt Senators like Senator Al Franken resign, (in his case after a coordinated Republican attack based on a silly photograph.) Put the lie to the now credible Republican talking point that the parties are equally corrupt.”
Franken got a raw deal, and I have always thought a good part of that mess was a calculated Republican campaign to "get" an effective Democratic Senator out of the way.
Oh I do! In years past I used to canvass neighborhoods for my candidate (local and national) but my disintegrating knees have made that impossible now. These days I donate as much as I can afford (fixed income, so unfortunately not in the millions) and write letters and postcards. I also forward yours, HCR's, Status Kuo's, LucianTruscott IV's, & Robert Hubbell's Substack columns to as many friends as I can (I try to send them to my red-hued relatives; but no converts yet--however I haven't been uneremoniously blocked yet, either...so I'm taking that as a hopeful sign.).
I'm also going to be working hard to get our CD2 Representative re-elected. He's a bit too centrist for my personal taste, but this very rural district runs deep red, so he's probably the best Dem we could get elected. He's facing a primary challenge from an unenrolled candidate as well as at least two redneck MAGAs.
Otherwise I'm a poll worker at our local polling place and when we Otisfield Dems caucus...we can usually fit in a middling size woodshed--all twelve of us. For quite a few years I was either a state delegate or an alternate for the State Dem convention. It was always interesting; occasionally even fun.
As I've said on other substack posts about Menendez, I have no loyalty to him whatsoever. Regardless of party, if he did these things (and I strongly suspect he did), he, his wife and any others involved, should be convicted, sentenced to prison, and drummed from public office. I'm in favor of calling for his resignation, but also recognize "innocent until proved guilty" [eye roll, in this case] Short of resignation, I think he should be silenced in the Senate. He's already been removed from his speakership, but he should not be allowed to vote, debate, or bring new legislation, until this case is resolved. That is especially hard, I understand, with such a narrow majority. However, I for one, do not want such a person representing me (albeit I'm not from NJ). If he is to be "neutralized" in this way, then push to bring the court case in an expeditious manner, or convince him to resign to allow for the appointment of a Democratic replacement.
The stink of big money in politics is sickening. It’s a common theme throughout world history since the first city states rose in the Fertile Crescent thousands of years ago. Cut all the trappings of “civilization “ away and it’s pretty much the same thing that toppled empires and democracies, namely the taint of money and its single-minded pursuit for the power it buys despite everything else. Jesus was so right in chasing the money lenders out of the Temple in Jerusalem…
This had to be said and you have said it very well. Let me enhance the "practical" part..... Our latest corrupt Senator (Menendez) has just today said he will not resign, as the honorable Al Franken did years ago. So, what to do, considering the feckless and very short-sighted Democratic "leadership" of the Senate? The danger is that if Menendez does not resign and does run again for office, the Republican opponent has a built-in campaign ad, "Yes, my Democratic opponent IS a crook....." It is incumbent and necessary for Schumer and the other Democratic leadership to convince Menendez to resign, or to censure him, and to cripple any chance he could run again. Primary him - throw whatever money it takes to defeat him before he even runs, run another strong candidate and win for the next 6 years. If you do not, you face the likelihood of having a Republican Senator in that New Jersey seat.....
The "top" Democrats need to wake up & push this guy to resign - do they really want to be tainted with that kind of brush? There was no hesitation to pushing out Franken. I have to wonder why that was - he wasnt a member of the clique in charge???
Menendez and tRump are proof that small slaps on the wrist only encourage MORE criminality. It’s too bad someone, somewhere sold this society on the idea that deterrents can’t be had with a prison sentence.
Please do not conflate the former guy with the derriere. The derriere is an important part of the body, and not just for the far end of the digestive tract. Buttocks evolved so that our ancestors could run--no other primate has buttocks, and no other primate runs--along with hairlessness, the nuchal ligament that holds the head steady when running, and the Achilles tendon. Harvard University's Daniel Lieberman has written about that.
But the derriere also eventually became a secondary sex characteristic on both genders, and an oft very attractive one. Body parts should be sacred and people should not turn them into epithets.
Well, bless the FBI for doing the right thing and carrying out the raid based on the indictments handed down. This had to give the magas pause, albeit a short one, because they are so sure Trump is being persecuted while all other government crooks are riding the waves on their yachts. Let the maga frat House redirect their impeachment efforts to the soft target, Menendez, and forget about Biden for whom impeachment proceedings just seem like juvenile tit for tat. Menendez got greedy and got caught and will probably be convicted and go to prison where I hope he will have a cell near Trump so they can reminisce about the good old days. Thanks, Tom, for reminding us that honesty and public service are virtues that are still worth preserving.
And this is why the Democrats in the House should join as many Republicans as they can muster to boot McCarthy, elect a new Speaker, pass a clean 30 day CR, then pass the 12 Senate approved and FRA compliant appropriations bills and, based on his comments about Gen. Milley, censure Paul Gosar. McCarthy has worn out a welcome he never got or deserved and, while the immediate political impact will be on the GOP, it's a Congressional shutdown if Jeffries & Company let it happen when there is an alternative.
I guess Al Franken didn't realize that getting caught on film making a stupid, misogynistic-esque gesture was a hanging offense with summary execution as opposed to the low-level misdemeanor of stashing wads of very likely ill-gotten cash in suit pockets and gold bars with traceable serial numbers in the pantry, or wherever Gold Bar Bob stashed them.
Should have gone for the dough instead of the laughs, Al. Live and learn.
Me too. 1945. In our lifetime we watched the goals of the duopoly and the corporations who funded them, usurp the common good until that ugly, partisan, corrupt process that evolved in the moral swamp of Washington, D.C. over the years brought us to now. I must say you did the "right thing" writing this article with that eloquent Schmidt quote. This post is one for the ages, TC, a beautiful call to the citizenry to either follow their better angels and honor the rule of law and the traditions of morality that make civilized life possible, or die in the company of fascist pigs like Trump and Menendez.
That Menendez is defending himself now as being the victim of "those who dislike seeing a Latino son of immigrants rise to success" is completely infuriating.
Yeah - he does such a disservice to Latinos and other immigrant families with excuse. But then that is the only "excuse" he has - nothing said about being innocent.
This is such a fine treatise on morality, as it applies to politics AND every other aspect of life. I won't get off topic and mention another aspect that is currently on my list of things to abhor, but I so appreciate your saying what must be said and needs be said. Thank you.
Doing the right thing. What a concept.
It is hard as hell, sometimes, but it is the only successful path.
We can only own the moral high ground if we climb up the hill, first, and stay.
I wrote to both my senators this morning - telling them exactly how I feel about this Menendez mess! Didnt send them the enclosed link only because I didnt think it would work on their emails. Looking back at the speed with which the Democrat higher-ups got rid of Al Franken?
Tell me - how is what he did (or possibly did NOT do-remember mostly anonymous) worse than this corrupt human being? This guy (Menendez) got away with this kind of dealing in 2015 - so figures he is untouchable? Well seems the Dems are treating him that way.
So "innocent until proven guilty"? And exactly where did those gold bars come from then?
https://popular.info/p/bob-menendez-al-franken-and-the-presumption?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=b9ign&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Al Franken should not have been hounded out. That was a travesty, started by by Kirstin Gillibrand, the Senator from New York who wanted to run for president and wanted Franken out of her way.
Menendez definitely needs to go.
Yep. I dislike Gillibrand more than I do Schumer.
I do too.
Today's was an inspiring column.
By a zillion times
Me too, because she hounded Franken out of office.
I agree - on the other hand, I still like Gillibrand - she does a lot of good. Schumer? maybe its time for someone else to take over. And yeah, I was pissed about Franken & Gillibrand's role in it. But you all know - its hard to find a a representative who does EVERYTHING you want them to do - even Obama and in my mind, he was great.
She may do a lot of good, but she eliminated a lot of possible good in that body when she led the charge to chase Franken out. So I'm skeptical that that wasn't a net loss for the country.
But I do agree that it's hard to fine anyone on Capitol Hill or in the White House who does all good. Biden is close, he's the best president in my lifetime, and I feel like he's put the wind at my back, despite the fact that he's terrible on immigration. See letter #2--mine
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/22/opinion/state-emergency-massachusetts-migration/
Gillibrand was selfish in her actions. Don’t think Obama ever was
I agree about Obama - but I doubt selfish came into Gillibrand's actions - seemed to just go along with what the Dem party wanted.
She had herself convinced she was "presidential timber" and that he was in her way. so she took advantage of the situation.
I agree on Schumer.
In this case, the political cost of doing the right thing is small, since a Democrat governor would replace Menéndez with another Democrat. Therefore I must conclude that the thing preventing his expulsion is the conspiracy of the old boy network, and all those allowing him to remain are its equally guilty co-conspirators.
What would our compass say, if it were a Repub to replace Menendez? I don’t want to know
It should be the same thing that Mitch McConnell - of all people! - thought in 1995, when as the chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee - he called for the resignation or expulsion if necessary of Senator Bob Packwood, knowing there was a good likelihood the Democrats would take the seat (which they did, with Ron Wyden). Because it was the right thing. It's too bad Mitch has evolved backwards so much.
Evolution turned upside down
That would take sterner stuff than we've apparently got. Lol.
Please call your Democratic Senators and demand that they expel Menendez from the Senate. Every second that he remains in that body he gives credence to, “They’re all corrupt,” which gives fence sitters permission to make an uninformed decision to vote for any Republican.
This is the letter I sent to both my Democratic Senators.
“Please publicly call for the expulsion of Menendez. He is a disgrace as are the responses of Democratic Senatorial leaders Schumer and Durbin. It appears that only non-corrupt Senators like Senator Al Franken resign, (in his case after a coordinated Republican attack based on a silly photograph.) Put the lie to the now credible Republican talking point that the parties are equally corrupt.”
Franken got a raw deal, and I have always thought a good part of that mess was a calculated Republican campaign to "get" an effective Democratic Senator out of the way.
Aided by Kristin Gillibrand.
It was and it worked like a charm. Dems were had
Me, too.
They don’t even need one but they will slurp with glee any news of a corrupt Dem. No matter that they climbed that hill to the very top long ago,
Of course they will - look! A shiny object!
I'm in Texas - I'm pretty sure Cornyn and Cruz will sit this one out for now - they'll campaign on it later in 2024.....
😡 How I feel about both Cornyn and Cruz... 🤢🤮 How I feel about Cruz in particular.
The thing to do is to take that anger, the energy of it, and translate it into useful effort.
Oh I do! In years past I used to canvass neighborhoods for my candidate (local and national) but my disintegrating knees have made that impossible now. These days I donate as much as I can afford (fixed income, so unfortunately not in the millions) and write letters and postcards. I also forward yours, HCR's, Status Kuo's, LucianTruscott IV's, & Robert Hubbell's Substack columns to as many friends as I can (I try to send them to my red-hued relatives; but no converts yet--however I haven't been uneremoniously blocked yet, either...so I'm taking that as a hopeful sign.).
I'm also going to be working hard to get our CD2 Representative re-elected. He's a bit too centrist for my personal taste, but this very rural district runs deep red, so he's probably the best Dem we could get elected. He's facing a primary challenge from an unenrolled candidate as well as at least two redneck MAGAs.
Otherwise I'm a poll worker at our local polling place and when we Otisfield Dems caucus...we can usually fit in a middling size woodshed--all twelve of us. For quite a few years I was either a state delegate or an alternate for the State Dem convention. It was always interesting; occasionally even fun.
Fun, WOW. Good on you.
As I've said on other substack posts about Menendez, I have no loyalty to him whatsoever. Regardless of party, if he did these things (and I strongly suspect he did), he, his wife and any others involved, should be convicted, sentenced to prison, and drummed from public office. I'm in favor of calling for his resignation, but also recognize "innocent until proved guilty" [eye roll, in this case] Short of resignation, I think he should be silenced in the Senate. He's already been removed from his speakership, but he should not be allowed to vote, debate, or bring new legislation, until this case is resolved. That is especially hard, I understand, with such a narrow majority. However, I for one, do not want such a person representing me (albeit I'm not from NJ). If he is to be "neutralized" in this way, then push to bring the court case in an expeditious manner, or convince him to resign to allow for the appointment of a Democratic replacement.
The gold bars substitute for a conscience, green works just as well. ALL repubs know this.
The stink of big money in politics is sickening. It’s a common theme throughout world history since the first city states rose in the Fertile Crescent thousands of years ago. Cut all the trappings of “civilization “ away and it’s pretty much the same thing that toppled empires and democracies, namely the taint of money and its single-minded pursuit for the power it buys despite everything else. Jesus was so right in chasing the money lenders out of the Temple in Jerusalem…
Damn, I remember that Jesus. Many Christians today don’t
Best post ever!! Thanks for the reminder that if you want others to do the moral thing you have to be living the moral thing in your own life.
This had to be said and you have said it very well. Let me enhance the "practical" part..... Our latest corrupt Senator (Menendez) has just today said he will not resign, as the honorable Al Franken did years ago. So, what to do, considering the feckless and very short-sighted Democratic "leadership" of the Senate? The danger is that if Menendez does not resign and does run again for office, the Republican opponent has a built-in campaign ad, "Yes, my Democratic opponent IS a crook....." It is incumbent and necessary for Schumer and the other Democratic leadership to convince Menendez to resign, or to censure him, and to cripple any chance he could run again. Primary him - throw whatever money it takes to defeat him before he even runs, run another strong candidate and win for the next 6 years. If you do not, you face the likelihood of having a Republican Senator in that New Jersey seat.....
The "top" Democrats need to wake up & push this guy to resign - do they really want to be tainted with that kind of brush? There was no hesitation to pushing out Franken. I have to wonder why that was - he wasnt a member of the clique in charge???
Bingo! We have a winnah!
Maybe Al could move and run, hahaha
Schumer contributing to bothsidesism... vomit inducing rhetoric.
Scathing!
Menendez and tRump are proof that small slaps on the wrist only encourage MORE criminality. It’s too bad someone, somewhere sold this society on the idea that deterrents can’t be had with a prison sentence.
Please do not conflate the former guy with the derriere. The derriere is an important part of the body, and not just for the far end of the digestive tract. Buttocks evolved so that our ancestors could run--no other primate has buttocks, and no other primate runs--along with hairlessness, the nuchal ligament that holds the head steady when running, and the Achilles tendon. Harvard University's Daniel Lieberman has written about that.
But the derriere also eventually became a secondary sex characteristic on both genders, and an oft very attractive one. Body parts should be sacred and people should not turn them into epithets.
Good point, but chump’s is so prominently displayed while no heart is to be found.
Please see my last sentence.
Pig's arse! Really.
All primates, and most mammals posess buttocks. Some female baboons have bright red ones to attract males.
Not like ours. no primates besides us are capable of endurance running.
Well, bless the FBI for doing the right thing and carrying out the raid based on the indictments handed down. This had to give the magas pause, albeit a short one, because they are so sure Trump is being persecuted while all other government crooks are riding the waves on their yachts. Let the maga frat House redirect their impeachment efforts to the soft target, Menendez, and forget about Biden for whom impeachment proceedings just seem like juvenile tit for tat. Menendez got greedy and got caught and will probably be convicted and go to prison where I hope he will have a cell near Trump so they can reminisce about the good old days. Thanks, Tom, for reminding us that honesty and public service are virtues that are still worth preserving.
Wow! Thank you for your service, Tom. And your post-service, Oleo Strut! And, of course, these important columns.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleo_Strut_(coffeehouse)!
Thank you
And this is why the Democrats in the House should join as many Republicans as they can muster to boot McCarthy, elect a new Speaker, pass a clean 30 day CR, then pass the 12 Senate approved and FRA compliant appropriations bills and, based on his comments about Gen. Milley, censure Paul Gosar. McCarthy has worn out a welcome he never got or deserved and, while the immediate political impact will be on the GOP, it's a Congressional shutdown if Jeffries & Company let it happen when there is an alternative.
Hope you are right
Me too.
I guess Al Franken didn't realize that getting caught on film making a stupid, misogynistic-esque gesture was a hanging offense with summary execution as opposed to the low-level misdemeanor of stashing wads of very likely ill-gotten cash in suit pockets and gold bars with traceable serial numbers in the pantry, or wherever Gold Bar Bob stashed them.
Should have gone for the dough instead of the laughs, Al. Live and learn.
Me too. 1945. In our lifetime we watched the goals of the duopoly and the corporations who funded them, usurp the common good until that ugly, partisan, corrupt process that evolved in the moral swamp of Washington, D.C. over the years brought us to now. I must say you did the "right thing" writing this article with that eloquent Schmidt quote. This post is one for the ages, TC, a beautiful call to the citizenry to either follow their better angels and honor the rule of law and the traditions of morality that make civilized life possible, or die in the company of fascist pigs like Trump and Menendez.
That Menendez is defending himself now as being the victim of "those who dislike seeing a Latino son of immigrants rise to success" is completely infuriating.
Yeah - he does such a disservice to Latinos and other immigrant families with excuse. But then that is the only "excuse" he has - nothing said about being innocent.
He knows the strings to pull