Blame, Shame, Bad, and Sad.

Six months prior to the Pennsylvania Senate race, Democratic candidate John Fetterman suffered a stroke.  That was a bad day for him and his family.

Six months later he defeated the Republican candidate known in TV land as Dr. Oz.  That was a bad day for the good doctor and the Republican Party.

That Fetterman’s family, friends, and the DNC allowed Fetterman to run was a sad sight to see.  It was obvious to any objective observer that he was not yet at a point in his physical and mental rehabilitation to take on a brand new and very stressful job.

In January Kamala Harris awkwardly swore him into the office of the U.S. Senate.  She has trouble talking and he had trouble walking.  It too was a sad sight.

All of the above was rubber-stamped by some not-so-good doctor of his who proclaimed him to be in good health and capable of chopping the daily wood that comes with the turf.

Checking the box with that rubber stamping was bad.  In late January Fetterman checked himself into the hospital for further physical health tests, diagnosis, and further rehab.  Sad.

Sunday night, Senator John checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to receive treatment for clinical depression.

He has experienced depression off and on throughout his life.  It only became severe in recent weeks.  Bad.

Did the severity progress as he tried to manage/cope with the enormity of the new job while battling the effects of the stroke?  One should place a fair-sized wager on that answer being “hell yes.”

While there is plenty of blame and what should be a good bit of shame going around on this unfortunate situation, a few things that aren’t being said should be.

Republicans took to all forms of media this week bashing the Dems for “allowing” this guy to run.  How could they?

We have breaking news for the elephant party.  Your candidate lost to this guy that you label, and correctly so, “unfit for office.”

Maybe you should get better candidates.  But instead, you reelect Mitch McConnell as the Senate leader as well as Ronna McDaniel as the Chairwoman of the RNC.

And, for the Pennsylvanians that voted for Fetterman, jeez.  Have you gotten what you hoped thus far from your guy?  Were you hoping for nothing?

Or, was it politics in its purest form?  That is, with the Senate majority hanging in the balance on every race, would you have pulled the left lever for even a corpse?

Does this remind you of the Biden election and his physical and mental well-being today?  What a divided time we live in.

Hopefully, over time, Mr. Fetterman can regain both his physical and mental health.

In the meantime, there is plenty of blame and shame to go around and around.

And, that is a combination of bad and sad.

 

 

 

Good Night Everyone

John Fetterman stumbled and bumbled through his debate last evening with Dr. Oz for the Pennsylvania Senate seat.  At least he has an excuse.  If his family, friends, and for that matter the DNC had a conscience, they would follow the science.

Speaking of doctors and following the science, Joe Biden, the CDC, and the NIH seem to be stumbling and bumbling with this pesky covid 19 pandemic.

It started about a year ago right now when the President, who stumbles and bumbles a bit himself, said, “For unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm.”  Looking back that seems overstated.

By June of this year, he was promoting a safe vaccine for children ages five and under.

The President then pivoted in a 60 Minutes interview in early September. “We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lotta work on it. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape.”

And, yesterday, in remarks on Covid, before he rolled up his sleeve for yet another booster he said, ” Americans have a choice as to how bad COVID-19 could be this winter.”  He also warned, yet again, that more people are likely to die.    Maybe we aren’t in pretty good shape?

Giving a boost to the booster effort he continued, “It’s incredibly effective, but the truth is, not enough people are getting it,” Biden said.  “Now we need a shot just once a year.

Noticeably absent was CDC Director Rochelle Walensky from the group gathered to support Biden and his remarks.   Last Friday night the good Dr. Walensky tested positive for COVID-19.  She is up to date with her vaccines.  Consistent with CDC guidelines, she is isolated at home.

Remember, it’s incredibly effective.

Dr. Anthony Fauci was behind the President and smiling from ear to ear.  He misses the spotlight ever so much.  With Cuomo and Lemon off of CNN at night and Rachael Maddow seldom seen on MSNBC most evenings now, his path to a live camera to tell us “I am the science” is tougher.

Will Dr. Oz defeat Fetterman in two weeks?  If he does, the Senate is one big step closer to Republican control.

And, if they get that control, another good doctor will find a path to a live camera.  Dr. Rand Paul promises a full Senate investigation by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions into the origin, treatment, payouts, and results of the last three years of the virus and the subsequent billions of jabs to save us all.

Susequently, that will get Dr. Fauci plenty of the live air time he covets whether he wants it then, or not.

“Goodnight everyone,” Fetterman said as the debate began last evening.

Kudos to him for stumbling into correctly reading the exhausted American psyche.

We’re all looking for a few good nights right about now.