Where are Republicans when you need them?
Republicans are currently twisting themselves into unseemly knots.
They don鈥檛 appear to know how to respond to the multi-count felony indictment against New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez.
Menendez is a Democrat. That蘑菇视频 usually fertile ground for Republicans to pile on with claims that the entire Democratic Party is the official home of worldwide corruption.
That蘑菇视频 not happening.
Take Republican Kevin McCarthy. The embattled Speaker of the House was quick to call for Menendez to take a hike the day after he was indicted.
When asked if Menendez should resign, McCarthy said, 鈥淵eah, very much so.鈥�
But when asked if that meant his fellow Republican, George Santos (with his 13-count felony indictment for fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds) should leave Congress, McCarthy found himself snared in his hypocrisy: 鈥淣o, I think George could have his day in court and I think Menendez could have his day in court.鈥�
What?
He鈥檇 already said Menendez should quit. Now he蘑菇视频 saying he shouldn鈥檛.
No wonder some of his fellow Republicans are plotting to overthrow him.
Menendez has been in Congress for 30 years.
He knows the lay of the land. Perhaps, he knows it too well.
In 2015 he was charged by federal prosecutors with conspiracy, bribery, and honest services fraud.
He was put on trial. But that case ended in a mistrial.
He蘑菇视频 currently facing his second set of serious corruption charges. Unlike the corruption case he beat in the past, there蘑菇视频 a groundswell of Democrats who aren鈥檛 standing by him.
Within days of the release of the current charges, two dozen of his fellow Democrats in the U.S. Senate called for him to quit.
At first, there was a trickle. Then a torrent of Democrats said Menendez should step down immediately.
By last Tuesday, nearly half of the Democrats in the Senate, plus several key Democrats in the U.S. House 鈥� including Nancy Pelosi 鈥� spoke out against Menendez staying in the Senate while he awaits his upcoming trial.
It蘑菇视频 no secret why Democrats have been so forceful in stepping away from Menendez. It may have been the pictures of the stacks of all of those hundred-dollar bills and gold bars that were confiscated from his home by government investigators.
And further, it was his daffy explanation for the bucks and bars.
鈥淟ook it, it came from my personal savings account. It蘑菇视频 something I did because I鈥檓 old-fashioned from Cuba, and this is how you protect your money,鈥� said the native of New York City.
Even Menendez蘑菇视频 fellow New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker had seen and heard enough.
鈥淚 believe stepping down is best for those Sen. Menendez has spent his life serving,鈥� said Booker. TRANSLATION: 鈥淒on鈥檛 let the door hit you鈥︹��
All of this tends to deflate that constant Republican talking point that there蘑菇视频 a 鈥渢wo-tiered鈥� justice system that benefits Democrats and penalizes Republicans.
This is the case of a Justice Department, headed by an Attorney General who was nominated by a Democratic president, who is currently charging a Democratic U.S. senator with serious crimes.
Democrats don鈥檛 seem to mind going after other Democrats when the heat is on.
Republicans, though, stay mum.
Last Tuesday, when Democrats were lining up to sound their disapproval of Menendez, word surfaced that a New York judge ruled that Donald Trump had engaged in serious fraud.
Judge Arthur Engoron 鈥渇ound that the former president and his company deceived banks, insurers, and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.鈥�
He got caught cheating!
And the response from most of his fellow Republicans was鈥�.
Trump has 91 felony charges lodged against him and the response from most of his fellow Republicans was鈥�
In May, a jury found that Trump was deemed liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, and the response from most of his fellow Republicans was鈥�
It doesn鈥檛 matter what he does, his antics are ignored by Republicans 鈥� as they always have been.
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 50-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.