I take Lt. Gov. Fetterman over Dr. Oz

Republican Mehmet Oz says Democrat John Fetterman is a trust fund baby.

He is correct.

But Dr. Oz, too, was born in Cleveland sucking a silver spoon.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehmet_

Oz  He is the son of a surgeon who immigrated to America, and a wealthy mother. Oz got an education, worked his way up to being a multi-millionaire and national celebrity. He did that himself and is living proof that the American Dream is alive and well.

Both men are seeking to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate. 

It is true that until recently Fetterman allowed his wealthy father to be his primary means of support. It is true his $70,000 home was sold to him by his sister for $1. 

But unlike many wealthy sons, Big John did not head for the party scene at Jackson Hole, or St. Moritz. He did not drive sports cars and chase supermodels. 

Nope. He took the support while he earned a master of public policy at Harvard, and then devoted himself to trying to improve the lives of the underclass by working for AmeriCorps, and helping the underprivileged get their high school diplomas, for about $33,000 a year.

His first political success? Being elected mayor of tiny, broke, Black Braddock, Pa., 2006-2019, salary $1,800.

Wow. Cut me a slice of that.

In other words, while Oz devoted himself to enriching his own self — and there’s nothing wrong with that in America — Fetterman threw himself into the service of others.

As Lt. Governor, he earns $271,610 a year and is finally off his parents’ dole. The high salary doesn’t seem to mean he left his taste for hoodies behind. They are his signature, as are his tattoos. (No, he won’t wear hoodies on the Senate floor.)

What does he believe in? From his website:

The minimum wage should be a living wage of at least $15 an hour. All work has dignity, and all paychecks must too.

Health care is a fundamental human right – just like housing, food, and education. 

Climate change is an existential threat. We need to transition to clean energy as quickly as possible, and we can create millions of good union jobs in the process. 

Weed should be legal, nationwide — for jobs, justice, veterans, farmers, and revenue. It’s time to end the failed war on drugs. 

Immigration is what makes America, America. We need a compassionate response to immigration reform that actually treats immigrants like human beings. 

Black Lives Matter. John served as mayor of a city that’s more than 80% Black, and has championed the idea that Black lives matter since long before it became a hashtag. 

The union way of life is sacred. It’s what built this nation, and it must be protected.  

A woman’s right to an abortion is non-negotiable. Women should have control over their own bodies and their own lives. Period.

LGBTQIA+ communities deserve equal protections under the law. John has always stood for equality, and was one of the first elected officials in PA to officiate a same-sex wedding – when it was still illegal. 

Get corporate money out of politics. John refuses contributions from corporate PACs, and he signed the “No Fossil Fuel Money” Pledge.

Do I agree with all the above? I do not.

Most especially I don’t agree with his support of Sanctuary Cities, which thwart federal immigration law.

And I abhor that he brags about breaking the law — marrying gays before it was legal. Elected officials should set examples in following the law, not breaking it.

Despite my misgivings, I will vote for Fetterman for one overarching reason: 

His opponent, Mehmet Oz, is a slimy election denier. 

He believes Donald J. Trump’s Big Lie that the election was stolen. He is an a**hole.

That Oz, a “man of science,” would have a belief in something totally without evidence makes him unfit for office.

I don’t care he only recently became a Pennsylvanian. I don’t care that he’s Muslim. I don’t care that he calls them crudites rather than veggies.

By bending a knee to Trump and the Big Lie, Oz has proved himself untrustworthy. 

Fetterman is the better choice for the U.S. Senate.