Takeaways from opening of Sen. Bob Menendez’s corruption trial [Video]

The corruption trial of Sen. Bob Menendez is off to an explosive start, with prosecutors saying the New Jersey Democrat was “on the take” from a cast of shady characters and lawyers for Menendez and his co-defendants all casting blame on the senator’s wife, Nadine, for any potential crimes.Menendez, 70, has been charged with acting as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt and assisting the government of Qatar, all while taking bribes from several New Jersey businessmen. He is being tried with Wael Hana, an Egyptian American businessman, and Fred Daibes, a New Jersey real estate developer. All three have pleaded not guilty.The allegations against Menendez, who stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after being indicted, have already put his long political career on the brink. He is not running for reelection in next month’s Democratic primary but has said he would consider an independent …