The first rule of Race Card Club is … you only play it against Republicans. Bob Menendez must have forgotten that, along with most if not all of his ethical guidelines. As calls from fellow Democrats, including New Jersey governor Phil Murphy and Eric Holder, mounted after Menendez’ corruption indictment dropped, Menendez whined that they just don’t like hanging out with Latinos, or something (via Twitchy):

NEW: Sen Menendez responds to calls for his resignation w/ new stmt: “It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere.”

Full statement is here: pic.twitter.com/qkVTXhwoAw

— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) September 22, 2023

How well did that go over? Like a flatus in the chapel, apparently. Even John Fetterman got into the act the next day, becoming the first Senate Democrat to press Menendez to resign:

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) called for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to resign from the Senate on Saturday, making him the first senator to call for his resignation.

“Senator Menendez should resign,” Fetterman said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence, but he cannot continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations.”

Menendez is entitled to the presumption of innocence in court. Voters are entitled to look at the evidence and make their own judgments as to whether Menendez is fit for office. Meanwhile, Menendez acts as though he’s entitled to … well, just entitled in nearly the literal sense of the word. How dare anyone criticize His Lordship after all sorts of evidence of corruption emerges?

Given that this is hardly the first time such evidence has emerged, it’s notable how quickly Democrats are trying to toss Menendez under the bus this time. Politico reports that they’re not wasting time setting up a primary challenge for next year’s election, just in case Menendez decides to hold out through a trial. While Menendez has faced primary challenges before, he hasn’t faced a real comer like Andy Kim:

On Saturday, Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) announced he would run against Menendez, instantly presenting the most serious electoral threat to the senator in a long and powerful career in Washington.

It is a vivid sign that the foundation of Menendez’s political power is disintegrating. The aura of fear around him that has deterred challengers and silenced critics in the past has already faded and may soon be gone.

The 41-year-old Kim is a third-term member of Congress with a background in national security. He has a relatively limited profile in New Jersey but has been a prolific fundraiser and has won several tough races in a battleground district.

If that seems quick, you’d be correct in thinking so. Parties do not generally encourage primary challengers to settled incumbents, and often discourage them. Having another member of Congress throw their hat in the ring this quickly shows that the party is serious about ending Menendez’ perpetual corruption circus.

Politico notes that Kim may not be the last challenger to enter the primary race, but that’s questionable too.  Kim and the party may have rushed to announce this as a way to warn off everyone else, and let Kim run as solo as possible against Menendez if the senator decides to try for another term. They are undoubtedly hoping that Kim’s entry will give lesser-positioned contenders second thoughts about going up against a “prolific fundraiser” in a quixotic attempt to win the primary.

Of course, Menendez was a “prolific fundraiser” too. Will Kim survive the same kind of scrutiny that Menendez is experiencing in a truly competitive primary? I’d bet that we don’t find out and that Menendez will resign in some sort of deal to avoid too much prison time, but it would be interesting to find out.