I supported John Fetterman for Senate. I voted for him. I even met him once - years ago at a rally down town. I introduced myself to him afterwards and gave him a 2PJ business card and everything. He seemed unimpressed.
That being said, let's take a look at this piece from The New York Times. It begins thusly:
When Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, showed up at a hearing on May 8 with Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, his colleagues were surprised to see him. Until then, his chair on the dais of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee had sat empty all year.
But under intense scrutiny about his mental health and his ability to function in his job, Mr. Fetterman has been in damage control mode, attending hearings and votes that he had been routinely skipping over the past year. His colleagues, some of whom have privately described him as absent from the Senate and troubled when he is there, are trying to be supportive.
“Good thoughts, Senator Fetterman,” Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, said encouragingly after Mr. Fetterman finished his turn questioning Mr. Altman.
I am not sure whose idea it was for the piece but, in the words of an astute reader, he comes off as "an entitled, self-pitying jerk at this point hiding behind a diagnosis."
You'll see what the AR meant by the next two paragraphs in the Times piece:
Mr. Fetterman does not enjoy participating in these hearings that he has sat through in recent weeks as he seeks to prove that he is capable of performing the job he was elected to do until 2028. In fact, at a critical moment for the country, he appears to have little interest in the day-to-day work of serving in the United States Senate.
In an interview, Mr. Fetterman, who represents 13 million people, said he felt he had been unfairly shamed into fulfilling senatorial duties, such as participating in committee work and casting procedural votes on the floor, dismissing them as a “performative” waste of time.
Senatorial duties "a performative waste of time," you said.
That's the job, my friend. If you don't like actually doing the job 2.75 million Pennsylvanians elected you to do, there's a simple solution to your dilemma.
The next paragraph does him no favors:
Instead, he said he was “showing up because people in the media have weaponized” his absenteeism on Capitol Hill to portray him as mentally unfit, when in fact it is a product of a decision to spend more time at home and less on the mundane tasks of being a senator.
Again, that's part of the job, Senator. The job you were elected to do.
And then he lies about the "weaponization."
He added: “It shook me that people are willing to weaponize that I got help.”
No, Senator. This issue is not that you got help - or indeed that you need help - but your reported refusal to continue to get help is effecting your job.
Then there's this:
Mr. Fetterman has also foregone events in his state. He has avoided hosting town halls with his constituents because he does not want to get heckled by protesters.
Um, did you ever wonder that maybe there's a reason there are protesters, Senator? Avoiding them won't make things better.
Remember that event you were supposed to co-host with MAGA/GOP Senator Dave McCormick?
I wrote about it here.
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"
cancelledpostponed the winery event, they didn't get to.
Avoiding your unhappy constituents is not a good look, Senator.
The job you were elected to do is the job you were elected to do.
Do it. Even the parts you don't like to do.
