Pennsylvania Democratic Senate pick John Fetterman tore into his Trump-backed Republican opponent Mehmet Oz’s record during a debate this week.
“I’m running to serve Pennsylvania,” Fetterman said in an opening statement. “He’s running to use Pennsylvania. Here’s a man that’s spent more than $20 million of his own money to try to buy that seat… If he’s on TV, he’s lying. He did that during his career on his TV show, he’s done that during his campaign, lying about our record here, and he’s also lying probably during this debate. And let’s also talk about the elephant in the room. I had a stroke. He’s never let me forget that… It knocked me down, and I’m going to keep coming back up.”
In his own opening statement, Oz really zeroed in upon trying to depict himself as a moderate in supposed contrast to Fetterman. Oz does remember he’s endorsed by Donald Trump, right? The guy who has pushed for undoing the outcome of the 2020 presidential election this year through either some authority declaring him the rightful winner, holding a new election, or invalidating the outcome in a key swing state (Wisconsin)?
Eventually, the candidates got to abortion, with Oz pushing back on the idea of federal involvement in deciding abortion policy — and directly promoting the idea of the involvement of local political leaders in medical decisions. He played right into the way Democrats have tried to warn Americans about Republicans positions. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves,” Oz said.
“I want to look into the face of every woman in Pennsylvania,” Fetterman countered. “If you believe that the choice of your reproductive freedom belongs with Dr. Oz, then you have a choice. But if you believe that the choice for abortion belongs between you and your doctor, that’s what I fight for. Roe v. Wade, for me, should be the law. He celebrated when Roe v. Wade went down. And my campaign would fight for Roe v. Wade and, if given the opportunity, to codify it into law.” Polling in the Pennsylvania race depicts it as still close, although Fetterman leads. The state’s other Senator and outgoing governor are already Dems, and Biden won there in 2020. Oz has faced criticism throughout the race for seeming out of touch with the concerns of everyday Pennsylvanians.
Besides the fact he lived in New Jersey for decades before only recently moving to the state, is someone who is essentially trying to personally spend their way into the seat — and owns multiple mansions! — while regurgitating whatever sounds the best on TV really who would best represent anybody? Check out some clips below:
