New Jersey Democratic Rep. Andy Kim announced Saturday that he’ll run next year against Sen. Bob Menendez in the wake of the senator’s indictment and refusal to step down.

“After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said ‘I am not going anywhere.’ As a result, I feel compelled to run against him. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity,” Kim posted on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

Kim has been representing New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes suburbs east of Trenton, since 2019. He won reelection last November by more than 10 percentage points.

  • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Upvote for correct usage of the term. Democrats at least have a basically decent track record on this. Often going too far to preemptively even eliminate the appearance of impropriety in some cases. Republicans on the other hand. The barrel full rotted away 50-100 years ago. And the barrel itself has decomposed. Leaving the rotting ooze to go everywhere and get on everything.

    • Maeve@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Thanks. You’re accusing only the other side of being drunker than Cooter Brown on rot gut brandy.? To my mind, most of the rest are just better at “handling” (hiding) the intoxication of bling and bam (money and power). With apologies to a washed-up hip-hop artist, “…you can’t change the system from within, because the system changes you.”

      Are there exceptions? Perhaps to some degree, but even that seems optimistic, some days.

      • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Not at all. That’s your projection. All corruption isn’t equal. While both parties absolutely have corruption issues. (In a system that values capital over people corruption is inescapable) one party is magnitudes worse. Democrats despite having corruption issues. Absolutely do better addressing much of it. And regardless of whether Menendez shows morals and steps down on his own. Or is run out and replaced by voters. Or switches affiliation to a party that openly embraces all corruption. His time as an elected Democrat is already limited.

        Did you notice how you didn’t address what was said? Instead accusing of claims that weren’t made. I didn’t down vote you. But this is exactly why many did. Because you aren’t engaging in good faith. I’d argue that a lot of what both major parties do is a stain on both of them. Bit I’m not blind or partisan enough to pretend they’re the same. Or that the democrats are worse. Because there’s no objective measure by which they are. Despite all their problems.

        • Maeve@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          Oh I addressed what you said. You just didn’t hear me. Dems are “better” at addressing issues, see Nancy Pelosi first reaction at calling for politicians to halt insider trading, Joe Manchin boarding his “boat” to evade constituents wanting answers, Sinema, rotating villains, Overton windows, etc ad nauseum. This is late stage capitalism, end-stage climate catastrophe. I’m just old and jaded, stuck in the dead and glorified confederacy,. but you do you. I don’t think either of us are arguing in “bad faith,” but you’re entitled to your prerogative.

          • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            That in no way addresses my claim. I heard you. You’re not arguing in good faith. I made the objective true statement that despite still being problematic and flawed. Democrats actually do handle this on the whole better. I did not say they are blameless perfect or always right. To which you got offended. Because you are not actually participating in any good faith debate.

            If Republicans do 100 corrupt things before lunch and no one gets punished by their fellow Republicans for it. And Democrats do 100 corrupt things before lunch. And only one Democrat is held responsible by other Democrats for it. They are objectively better. Not by much. But it is a factual statement. You are claiming the existence of any corruption negates ever having a possibility of being better in any way. Which is a non sequitur.

            • Maeve@kbin.social
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              1 year ago

              What? And you accuse me of projection? You’re projecting, fancying yourself a mind reader, and don’t see it like I do. I said what I said, no more, no less, so let me put it in simplest terms: both parties are screwing us. Idk how long you’ve been following politics, and I’m not claiming to be omniscient either, but just because one party is objectively gentler doesn’t mean they are noble or don’t come riddled with disease.