Do Republicans prefer to eat their own when it comes to political scandals? Or are they just deathly afraid of going against Democrats? Those are just some of the questions that deserve answers after the push to expel Rep. George Santos from Congress backfired and caused the GOP to lose a seat in the House of Representatives.
There are some differences in these situations, so, admittedly, it is not an apples-to-apples comparison. Santos was in the House, which the Republicans controlled, and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was in the Senate, which the Democrats controlled. However, notice the zeal and determination of House Democrats when it came to holding Santos accountable. Heck, notice the conviction of many House Republicans who wanted to oust Santos. That kind of vigor is missing from the GOP regarding Menendez. And every Republican voter should be demanding Republicans to explain why that is.
An example of this timidity, hypocrisy, and double standard was Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT). Romney has been quite outspoken about maintaining ethics, preaching decency, and doing the right thing. He was a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump and even voted to support his impeachment. Romney even notoriously confronted Santos in February 2023 and told him he “doesn’t belong here.” Romney was praised and hailed as being “courageous” for confronting Santos.
However, where was Romney’s courage when it comes to Bob Menendez? Where has the courage of any Republican in the Senate been? Why were they more eager to oust their own than hold their political rivals accountable? If Democrats were the minority party in the Senate and Menendez was Republican, they would bring it up every day until some action was taken against Menendez.
And it goes without saying that Democrats deserve criticism for their refusal to take the same kind of action against Menendez that they did against Santos. However, that is to be expected. Republicans are supposed to be the good guys.
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But Republicans have done the exact opposite. In fact, they even decided to run away with their metaphorical tails tucked between their legs. They admitted they were not going to do anything, even going so far as to say, “It is for Democrats to decide.” Actions like this are why Republican voters have grown tired of the politicians they elected to office and, instead, have flocked to figures such as Donald Trump. Voters are tired of getting bullied, outwitted, outsmarted, and arguably “out-everything” by Democrats; all the while, many Republicans sit idly by and do nothing but awkwardly smile and nod their heads.
It’s indicative of the kind of politically cowardly, gutless, timid, and feeble governance that has alienated and angered Republican voters. It’s legitimate and understandable to want to hold Santos accountable for his actions. Yet, it’s unacceptable to hold Santos to one set of standards and Bob Menendez to another. There is no reason for this political impotence, which damages the credibility of those in the GOP. They have shown they will sacrifice their own but refuse to do anything regarding corrupt politicians like Menendez.