Media wonders: Why is Menendez intervening on behalf of a big campaign donor, anyway?
posted at 1:01 pm on February 2, 2013 by Ed Morrissey
The national media may not be asking about underaged hookers — yet — but they’re getting a lot more interested in whether Senator Bob Menendez prostituted his office on behalf of a big donor. After an FBI raid this week targeted the offices of Menendez crony and contributor Salomon Melgen, Menendez scurried to round up enough cash to reimburse Melgen for private-jet flights to the Dominican Republic, apparently emptying his bank account. That was enough to draw the interest of the Senate Ethics Committee — and now the Washington Post wants to know why Menendez seemed so intent on intervening on behalf of his friend’s business interests:
Last year, as Melgen donated $700,000 to support the senator’s reelection campaign and other Democrats, Menendez sought to turn up the pressure on the Dominican Republic to carry out the multimillion-dollar contract. Melgen had acquired an ownership stake in a company that had previously contracted with the Dominican Republic to provide port security.
In July, Menendez led a Senate hearing on the challenges of doing business in Latin America and urged officials from the Commerce and State departments to apply pressure to countries that didn’t honor agreements with U.S. businesses. Without naming Melgen, Menendez highlighted the contract to provide security in the Dominican port.
The U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic, an ally of Menendez, added his voice to the cause, according to reports in the Dominican press. In a meeting with government officials in the island nation, Ambassador Raul Yzaguirre stressed the need for the Dominican Republic to start scanning container ships entering its port for terrorist threats and drugs.
Dominican merchants were fuming at the cost — the 20-year contract was estimated to be worth as much as $500 million — and questioning how an eye doctor had branched out into port security.
Melgen “is an ophthalmologist, for Christ’s sake,” said William Malamud of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic. “He has no experience in port security.’’
No, but he has a lot of experience in crony capitalism and possibly corruption, it appears. It’s taken a while, but the media has finally taken some interest in Menendez’ travels and connections, and especially in how both may relate to his work as US Senator. And the Post isn’t alone, either. Here’s the LA Times:
Sen. Robert Menendez, the powerful New Jersey Democrat who this week was named chairman of theSenate Foreign Relations Committee, is facing a Senate ethics probe into whether he accepted inappropriate gifts from a wealthy Florida eye surgeon who is under FBI investigation.
The Senate Ethics Committee is conducting a preliminary investigation of two trips Menendez took to a luxury beach resort in the Dominican Republic in August and September 2010 as a guest of Dr. Salomon Melgen, a longtime friend and political donor. …
A review of records shows Menendez has at times used his role on the Foreign Relations Committee to advocate for Melgen.
In a subcommittee hearing last July, he pressed Commerce and State Department officials for action to help enforce contracts held by U.S. firms in the Dominican Republic, including a seaport security contract granted to a company partially owned by Melgen.
The company, ICSSI, holds a contract, reportedly worth $500 million to $1 billion over 20 years, to X-ray cargo shipped through the Dominican Republic. Business groups there have fought to keep the deal from going into effect, arguing that the fees are too high and would increase their costs.
And also CNN, which actually does mention the allegations of prostitution:
Another issue has to do with whether Menendez advocated on behalf of ICSSI — a port security company that Melgen has a stake in — on Capitol Hill.
During a Senate subcommittee hearing last July, Menendez didn’t mention ICSSI by name, but he did press Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Rooney about an unnamed company who had a contract to X-ray cargo that went through all Dominican ports — a contract that, he said, Dominican authorities “don’t want to live by.”
“If those countries can get away with that, they will,” the senator said. “And that puts American companies at a tremendous disadvantage.”
Looks like Menendez isn’t just being held to account by “right-wing blogs” alone any more.
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He has to the Left, nobrain.
Schadenfreude on May 15, 2013 at 4:20 PM
Revise your W4 to assure no tax refund at the end of 2014….the IRS has no power in the law to penalize you for no doing Obamacare…other than to confiscate you tax refund….so make sure you don’t get a refund.
Also, give them not one iota of health information…they can’t be trusted…ever.
III/0317
dirtengineer on May 15, 2013 at 4:20 PM
I don’t believe anyone else here is interested in those types of credentials. We have an ideology. This isn’t an à la carte menu.
Cindy Munford on May 15, 2013 at 4:21 PM
You’re intoxicated by Obama’s shit. May it suffocate you.
Schadenfreude on May 15, 2013 at 4:22 PM
Not if the co-ruling GOP can help it….
Don L on May 15, 2013 at 4:23 PM
This is the ultimate lie in the concern troll’s incredibly limited arsenal. People who are not too bright believe that if you claim to not be affiliated with any particular belief system, it means you somehow more intelligently review “all the arguments” and come to a more logical conclusion. That believe is utter stupidity.
The implicit argument in the above statement is that nonpartisan’s (lie) views are more nuanced then us knuckle-draggers because he is open to everything.
but, he is too ignorant to understand that whether the arguer is “open minded” or partisan has no bearing on the arguments he/she makes. You either make a good argument based in logic and facts or you don’t. Nonpartisan (lie) is trying to use the concern troll tactic of claiming to being open to conservative messages while rejecting every single one and arguing vehemently for liberal positions.
She does this in the idiotic believe that somehow this will convince conservative to abandon their positions because we will believe that some unaffiliated, objective and intelligent observer has looked at all the arguments and decided the liberal position is correct. She isn’t liberal on every position guys, just this one here!!!! And she is so objective and open minded we should listen to her!!!!
It is, despite nonpartisan’s (lie) claim otherwise, entirely possible to have a political philosophy, such as conservatism, yet still review the other arguments objectively and analyze them appropriately. Indeed, far more intelligent people than nonpartisan have done just that.
As to her claims to have always been a Romney supporter and be a fan of Ted Cruz, etc., etc., I think everyone here sees those silly claims for the lies they are. One cannot read the plethora of comments from Nonpartisan(lie) without realizing she is a hard-core liberal activist.
The fact that she claims otherwise demonstrates the depth of pathology that exists in the liberal mind.
Based on her comments, she is probably too young to realize that this particular scam has been tried for at least 13 years by lefties – posing as either conservative or “nonpartisan”. It is not a new or clever gambit and has never yet managed to persuade anyone of anything.
Monkeytoe on May 15, 2013 at 4:24 PM
A fat, unpopular, teenaged liar at that.
Oh, and a lousy one.
CurtZHP on May 15, 2013 at 4:26 PM
Your “noble” lover boy is the opposite on those. How do you square that circle, liar?
BeachBum on May 15, 2013 at 4:26 PM
This is hilarious. It is also a false premise. Obama was never for such.
Schadenfreude on May 15, 2013 at 4:27 PM
I’ve never once supported Obama on any of those
I defend him against attacks I feel are unwarranted and on his character as opposed to his policies
I think he is not nearly as liberal as many on hotair make him to be…he is moreso a centrist, left of the middle of course
nonpartisan on May 15, 2013 at 4:28 PM
No conservative considers them self “pro-torture”. We don’t believe that water-boarding is torture. That is an entirely different argument. Which shows how little you understand conservatism.
Now, to prove your bona fides, please describe for the class what you believe it means to be conservative on:
1. Immigration
2. Education
3. Fiscal policy (and explain how support of Obamacare fits into being fiscally conservative or else disavow Obamacare).
4. Entitlement reform
I’m sure your answers will be highly enlightening.
Monkeytoe on May 15, 2013 at 4:28 PM
It’s interesting that you have never commented on any thread supporting any conservative idea, policy or position.
Yet you are found on every thread about Obama defending him unto the death.
You lie. And you lie. And you lie.
Monkeytoe on May 15, 2013 at 4:30 PM
Obama has NO character, nor ever had any.
He is a narcissistic charlatanic thug.
nobrain is just a chicken.
Schadenfreude on May 15, 2013 at 4:31 PM
Then you truly are a moron. This “noble” lover boy of yours is the MOST radical liberal president since Wilson. He is a Marxist and if you can’t figure that out then there is NO WAY you are “nonpartisan”.
BeachBum on May 15, 2013 at 4:32 PM
nobrain sounds like AllahP on April 1, playing jokes on the commentariat.
Schadenfreude on May 15, 2013 at 4:32 PM
well, I am ProTORTURE…I am not concerned about torturing terrorists for information if needed to save lives, that means Im ok with means beyond waterboarding.
1. immigration – I believe illegals should be deported. I believe immigrants should come only through the legal route. Children of illegals may go to the end of the legal immigrant line.
2.fiscal policy – I believe the tax code should be simplified and reformed. I believe everyone should pay some form of taxes, even those making under 10,000 just so they feel invested in this country. I believe entitlement systems need a massive reform (ie social security age should rise, medicaid and medicare should be means tested and fraud should be eliminated, and punishment for fraud be increased).
3.education – I believe in elimination of affirmative action based on race, I am ok with AA based on socioeconomic status. I am fine with charter schools. I believe tenure system should be reformed, bad teachers should be fired and good ones rewarded.
nonpartisan on May 15, 2013 at 4:34 PM
Also please tell us why you constantly use the offensive term “baggers” in reference to the Tea Party and yet profess to support Ted Cruz.
BeachBum on May 15, 2013 at 4:35 PM
no, I aboslutely have commented in support of conservative ideas, but when I do, no fuss is made so people overlook it or don’t remember it.
nonpartisan on May 15, 2013 at 4:35 PM
Are you suggesting a pattern of civil disobedience? Many millions of people simply refusing to fill out IRS OMBA form? Could that work?
slickwillie2001 on May 15, 2013 at 4:37 PM
Those are fairly vague answers that seem to have a very skewed understanding of what conservatives think.
for instance, in discussing fiscal policy, a conservatives first response would be “everyone should pay taxes” – rather it would be about cutting spending and decreasing taxes and regulation on everyone. And I note you completely dodged the Obamacare question which is an enormous fiscal issue.
On education, I doubt even 1% of conservatives would say the most pressing issue is AA. That’s hardly even in the top 10 issues. what about school choice? what about getting rid of teachers’ unions? What about getting rid of tenure for k-12 teachers altogether? What about getting the federal gov’t out of education altogether?
The fact that you believe that affirmative action is what conservatives are most concerned about with regards to education shows that you know little about conservatism. AA has almost nothing to do with k-12 education.
Also, very few conservatives lead off immigration with “deport them all”.
Your answers actually did what I suspected they would do. They show you have a caricature view of what conservatives believe and thought you could pass yourself off as one.
You failed.
Monkeytoe on May 15, 2013 at 4:43 PM
Now that the IRS has it’s boot off the neck of the Tea Party watch them roar!
Herb on May 15, 2013 at 4:45 PM
nobrain is an auto-generator of HA comments. It’s ironic that it produces that which it abhors.
Schadenfreude on May 15, 2013 at 4:51 PM
Links.
Monkeytoe on May 15, 2013 at 4:52 PM
Can’t, he was lying…again.
cozmo on May 15, 2013 at 4:54 PM
While proclaim Pres. Corpseman the most gifted orator of our generation!
Cindy Munford on May 15, 2013 at 4:59 PM
Bingo!
Actually, the root cause of all three scandals (or is it four?) and the one that is yet to come (oh heck, there are probably dozens more scandals waiting in the wings for a whistleblower)is the lefty attempt to tip the election to Obama. And they succeeded.
Please note that one of the groups whose IRS status was held up is a group that was fighting voter fraud.
Amjean on May 15, 2013 at 4:59 PM
To me, nonpartisans’ most telling answer was claiming that she was conservative on “education” and then clarifying that by saying she is against affirmative action.
to me, that means she believes that conservatives biggest issue is always race. When the issue of affirmative action in reality is pretty far down the chain of issues that effects k-12 education (and when we talk about “education” we generally are talking about K-12, not higher education.
But she – attempting her hardest to think like a conservative – said “aha!! I know what will show I’m conservative. I’ll say I’m conservative about education and then say we need to get rid of affirmative action as the basis for my “education conservatism”.
Because, in her mind, all conservative thoughts and positions are driven by race, when in fact the opposite is more true. Liberals think about race constantly and find ways to make race an issue with respect to everything, conservatives in contrast tend to think about race in regards to whether or not the gov’t is being blind about race. That’s all we want, gov’t to treat all races equally.
Monkeytoe on May 15, 2013 at 5:00 PM
“I am ok with AA based on socioeconomic status” – duplicitous partisan
There it is…the Progressive Social Justice crapola! Not conservative…and still hasn’t denied they have baby feet in a jar.
kirkill on May 15, 2013 at 5:02 PM
what the hell does that even mean?
nonpartisan on May 15, 2013 at 5:08 PM
Nicely done!
D-fusit on May 15, 2013 at 5:10 PM
J_Crater on May 15, 2013 at 5:17 PM
To be fair, I have seen him do it a few times. One of them was today in the Rubio-third world country thread. Not because he actually believes it IMHO, but because he wants us to think he believes it.
xblade on May 15, 2013 at 5:28 PM
If it was anything like his backhanded semi-decent compliments towards Cruz a while back, of course it was made up crap to endear himself low information readers.
cozmo on May 15, 2013 at 5:36 PM
Could IRS scandal re-ignite the Tea Party?
Yes baby. Dear GOPe, we haven’t forgotten how you betrayed us. Also Obama sycophants will be held responsible for confiscatory taxation and other abuses of power.
SparkPlug on May 15, 2013 at 5:39 PM
You claim you are with us fiscally (which you aren’t given the class-warfare you support), so you must be a total social liberal. And social liberals love baby feet in a jar. Gosnell-like pro-abortion.
kirkill on May 15, 2013 at 6:01 PM
He/she made these posts in the Gosnell threads:
slickwillie2001 on May 15, 2013 at 6:40 PM
To be fair, the IRS just following the guidelines laid out by DHS on “domestic terrorists”. They were the first agency of the feral government to explicitly state that anyone who talks about the Constitution is suspicious – which does make sense in the American Socialist Superstate, where the Constitution is nothing but window dressing that must remain subservient to the whims of the ruling dictator. And no one at DHS even so much as got a suspension over that, let alone being ejected from government and forced to stand trial for violating the oath “to protect and defend the Constitution” … So, the IRS ran with it.
Just like things were in good ol’ Indonesia … isn’t that a strange coincidence? Who would have thought that the US would find itself under the thumb of some retarded Sukarno knock-off??
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on May 15, 2013 at 6:45 PM
Fuel My Fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paGvWAE9vQg
Count to 10 on May 15, 2013 at 7:28 PM
:)
Axe on May 15, 2013 at 7:39 PM
The WAPO, as usual, isn’t reporting the truth. They measure Tea Party activity only through demonstrations. The Tea Party left that behind and began their movement to take back the local party apparati and work the rot out from the bottom.
disa on May 15, 2013 at 10:35 PM
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