ITS JUST A LETTER

A US Senator is back in the news again.  Robert Menendez of New Jersey is now accused of taking bribes from foreign countries while being the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  The 70 year old Senator was elected into the House of Representatives in 1993 and remained there until 2006 when he was elected to the Senate.  He still serves in the Senate. 

Senator Menendez was indicted in 2015 on federal corruption charges.  A jury failed to reach a verdict in that trial and the charges were dismissed.  In 2018, he was admonished by the Senate for accepting gifts from a donor and providing that donor with advantages in his business.  In September 2023, he was indicted for providing sensitive information to a foreign government-Egypt this time.  In October 2023, he was again indicted for conspiracy to act as a foreign agent and other related charges.  Now, on January 2, 2024, a new indictment was filed against Menendez in relation to gifts he received in exchange for his dealings with Qatar.  

All that aside, here is the part that gets me.  I watched two channels report on the latest matter.  Neither of them identified Menendez according to his party affiliation.   You might say that this is a small thing but, to me, it seems the norm to identify politicians in the news in this manner:  "Sen. Robert Menendez D NJ".  They may claim the party affiliation has nothing to do with the situation but it does leave a lasting mark on your memory.  Would it have been omitted if it were an "R"?   I wonder.