McCormick Monday (Updated!)

First of a series.

I will be sending this letter to the Senator's office via the United States Postal Service and any response I get I'll post here verbatim.

Dear Senator McCormick;

I am a resident of Pennsylvania and a constituent of yours and I'd you to answer a question or two.

NBC News reported this weekend:

President Donald Trump did not rule out the possibility of seeking a third term in the White House, which is prohibited by the Constitution under the 22nd Amendment, saying in an exclusive interview with NBC News that there were methods for doing so and clarifying that he was “not joking.”

Given that  the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution reads:

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.  

And given that you took an oath to support and defend the Constitution when you became US Senator, do you support Donald Trump's end run around the 22nd Amendment?

I'll await your answer, Senator. 

UPDATE: Senator McCormick responded to this blog post. You can read it here.

 

Protest Follow-up

Hey, remember yestiddy? 

Here's some coverage.

WPXI:

Holding “Missing” milk cartons, a couple hundred demonstrators filled Schenley Plaza in Oakland Saturday in what they called a search party for Republican Sen. Dave McCormick and Democrat Sen. John Fetterman.

They danced in blow-up chicken suits in front of a big sign reading, ‘Two chickens, Too chicken?

“They can hide but I think these are the forums we have to get them to pay attention,” said demonstrator Sam Doverspike.

And:

Several demonstrators filled the lawn, asking where McCormick and Fetterman are, calling them cowards.

WESA: 

Protesters gathered in Oakland Saturday afternoon to demand an audience with Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators.

“All we want to do is have our elected officials hear us out,” said Sean Meloy, a Democratic political strategist who ran for Congress in 2022. “They're helping one of the richest senators get richer with a book tour! That's what they're doing at this time of crisis.”

The demonstration had originally been called when Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dave McCormick were scheduled to appear together for at a ticketed book event Saturday. The event was canceled Friday, but the protest continued without them, drawing a crowd of hundreds.

Fetterman and McCormick have faced pressure from constituents to hold public town halls, as the federal government makes rapid changes to social safety net programs and federal spending. Tensions have escalated at town hall events across the country in recent weeks, with Republicans in particular facing outrage from constituents angry about the Trump administration’s policies.

Let me add by saying that, from what I could tell at the protest, this crowd was angry at Fetterman for not fighting back against the Trump regime enough.  

For example, he voted to confirm of Kristi Noem, well-known puppy killer, as head of DHS.

So when Rolling Stone reports: 

Ranjani Srinivasan

The day before Khalil was detained, federal immigration agents went to the apartment of Columbia University student Ranjani Srinivasan. Srinivasan, a graduate student studying architecture, had moved to the U.S. from India as a Fulbright scholar in 2016. She did not answer the door when agents arrived, as she spoke with someone from the school’s international student office about the notice she’d received that her student visa had been revoked.

A fearful Srinivasan fled to Canada, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted security footage of her with her suitcase at LaGuardia airport. “It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live & study in the United States of America,” Noem wrote on X. “When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked and you should not be in this country.”

The State Department has not provided evidence backing Noem’s claims that Srinivasan, 37, was involved in activities supporting Hamas.

“I’m fearful that even the most low-level political speech or just doing what we all do — like shout into the abyss that is social media — can turn into this dystopian nightmare,” Srinivasan told The New York Times, “where somebody is calling you a terrorist sympathizer and making you, literally, fear for your life and your safety.” 

Or when The NYTimes reports:

The administration has also targeted students who have been less involved. Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish citizen and graduate student at Tufts University, was taken into federal custody on Tuesday. She had drawn the attention of a right-wing group that claims to combat antisemitism on college campuses and publicizes its findings online after helping write an opinion piece in the student newspaper criticizing the university’s response to pro-Palestinian demands.

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said investigators with that agency and Immigration and Customs Enforcement “found Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans. A visa is a privilege, not a right.” She did not offer evidence or details of that support.

A video of Ms. Ozturk’s detention, showing plainclothes agents from the Homeland Security Department detaining her as she was heading out to break her Ramadan fast with friends, has circulated widely online. “This video should shake everyone to their core,” her lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai, said in a statement on Wednesday. Ms. Ozturk is being held in Louisiana.

We, Pennsylvanians, should be able to ask either of PA's senators if they're now comfortable with their vote confirming the puppy killer. How about the lack of due process here? I'll assume the MAGA/GOP senator is OK with Trump regime, but the Democrat?

WTF is that all about?

I even had an email response (email responses are always welcome - see the links to your upper right on this page). An astute reader replied:

You are much too polite. I have been lambasting Fetterman on socials like a possessed demon. I did laugh today when someone referred to him and the sainted Giselle as Uncle Fester and Morticia.

His fixation on Israel, to the exclusion of just about anything else, is bizarre. His refusal to have his staff respond to anything is inexcusable, and deciding that the best thing he can do at this perilous moment is to help a filthy rich couple who don’t live in PA sell more books is just nauseating.

If he saw the bright lights and gold toilets and senior citizen breast implants at Mar A Lago and thought wow, this is the life I’ve been dreaming of, then he needs to resign and go wallow in the MAGA filth and let PA have a real senator. 

So where was John Fetterman? And why doesn't he want to face these folks? Anyone know?

 

 

Where Was Sen. Fetterman? Where Was Sen. McCormick?

Let's start a few weeks ago - Eventbrite (by way of the wayback machine):

From the Eventbrite description:

A conversation with Senator David McCormick, Senator John Fetterman, Dina Powell McCormick, and Gisele Barreto Fetterman

And: 

In this discussion, Dina and David will share insights from some of the most successful leaders in the country who credit mentorship as a defining force in their success. Through real-world stories, they unpack the four key elements of transformative mentorship–trust, shared values, meaningful commitment, and instilling confidence. [Bolding in original]

That's the discussion the Fettermans were going to join. 

Tickets were thirty bucks (or there abouts) things were set.

Then this happened: 

Pennsylvania Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman will host their first joint public event in Pittsburgh this Saturday, but not everyone is pleased with the Democratic senator's bipartisan show of support for his Republican colleagues' new book. 

An activist group, Mondays Without McCormick Pittsburgh, is planning a protest with Indivisible Pittsburgh this Saturday, urging both Pennsylvania senators to listen to their concerned constituents and host a town hall.

So this is what those "activists" did: 

"Instead of holding town halls, they are hawking a book at a paid event at City Winery. Join us to tell them NO! NO to dismantling the Department of Education. NO to defunding SNAP and programs that feed our kids. NO to cuts to NIH which supports research for our kids and ALL of us. And NO to attacks on our democracy - the legacy we will leave our kids," the Facebook event invite reads. 

The McCormicks co-wrote their new book about mentorship, "WHO BELIEVED IN YOU?," and the book tour is billed as a discussion of transformative mentorship "from some of the most successful leaders in the country." According to an Eventbrite, the book tour event is $32, which includes the cost of a book at $29.99. 

The Pittsburgh protesters have ridiculed the "paid book event," which was originally planned at City Winery. The event location has since been changed to: "Location to be announced." However, the protesters have not been deterred, vowing to gather in the Strip District. 

Actually it ended up being at Schenley Plaza in Oakland.

In any event, there was another wrinkle to the story.

Check it aht: 

A paid event featuring U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman that had been scheduled for Saturday in Pittsburgh has been postponed.  

Sure - it was "postponed."

Pennlive has a little more: 

A controversial event on Saturday that was supposed to feature Sen. Dave McCormick and Sen. John Fetterman and their wives talking about the power of mentorship, has been canceled at the last minute due to an “unforeseen logistical issue,” according to an email sent out to people who purchased tickets.

Sure - it was an  “unforeseen logistical issue.”

I was at the protest at Schenley Plaza today:

Some of the speakers had actually purchased tickets to the McCormick/Fetterman brofest and, evidently, had planned to read a statement to the Senators at the event. Each wondered why either Senator lacked the courage to face them.

Each speaker had an important story to tell and important grievances to bring to their Senators in Congress but because of whatever "unforeseen logistical issue" cancelled postponed the winery event, they didn't get to.

Where was Senator McCormick? Where was his buddy Senator Fetterman?

Maybe they went back to lunch at Fogo de Chão.

Remember this?:

Great to break bread with @SenFettermanPA, Gisele, & Dina to talk about where we can work together to best serve PA - from stopping the spread of fentanyl, to fighting antisemitism & supporting Israel, & providing the best constituent services for the people of our commonwealth. pic.twitter.com/Fk4hW1HOLY

— Senator Dave McCormick (@SenMcCormickPA) January 9, 2025

Look at the date - Jan 9, 2025. That's not even a full week after Senator McCormick first took this oath on January 3:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God. 

ConnecticutDave was not even a week into the job (probably didn't even know where the paper clips are stored) and he and John are deep into a Senatorial bromance. 

Any comment, Senator Fetterman?
Any comment, Senator McCormick?

When will you be hosting a town hall to hear from your constituents?  I have a few things to ask each of you and I know the folks at this protest have questions as well.

On Shelves Now!

 

In Case You Missed It

 

Day 50

Trump Chose To Do This

From Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:

So today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they’re talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. 

Make that make sense.

I can't. No one outside of the MAGA-cult can. 

Then he said this to us:

We don’t want this. We want to work with you as a friend and ally, and we don’t want to see you hurt either. But your government has chosen to do this to you. As of this morning, markets are down and inflation is set to rise dramatically all across your country.  

And:

Your government has chosen to put American jobs at risk at the thousands of workplaces that succeed because of materials from Canada, or because of consumers in Canada, or both. They’ve chosen to raise costs for American consumers on everyday essential items like groceries and gas, on major purchases like cars and homes and everything in between.

They’ve chosen to harm American national security, impeding access to the abundant critical minerals, energy, building materials and fertilizers that we have and that the United States needs to grow and prosper.

They’ve chosen to launch a trade war that will, first and foremost, harm American families.

Make that make sense. Trump (and his MAGA enablers) chose to do this.

For The Record

 

And Stephen Colbert had a message for the Democrats in Congress: 

Day 45