DV Journal

I had the opportunity to attend a recent forum devoted solely to the topic of Israel and the Middle East. The speakers were former American ambassador to Israel David Friedman and U.S. senatorial candidate, Dr. Mehmet Oz.

After speaking with Dr. Oz, I came away with these thoughts:

If you prioritize unquestionable support for the welfare and security of Israel and its closest possible and mutually beneficial relationship with the U.S.;

If you believe in an undivided Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state and home to the U.S. embassy;

If you are concerned with the threat of a nuclear Iran, its enunciated threats to Israel and the U.S., and have doubts, given its past duplicities,  about it being a reliable and trustworthy negotiating partner;

If you think that it might not be such a good idea to give the Palestinian Authority $500,000,000 annually  in fungible funding, which can, and has been, used to compensate  terrorists who kill Israelis and Americans, and to support  terrorist infrastructure and missile production;

If you resent Israel constantly being pressured to make “good faith building” territorial and economic concessions that never have any effect on a historically intractable Palestinian Authority (P.A.);

If you don’t like the idea of taxpayer money being used to influence Israeli elections or to underwrite  the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s Jew hatred in Palestinian schools;

Then, Dr. Mehmet Oz would be a like-minded champion for those beliefs in the U.S. Senate.

If, however, your tastes run to:

Tepid support for Israel, at best;

Defunding police and open borders;

Bail “reform” and its documented effect on increased violent crime;

Dependence on foreign oil, hence increased gas prices (a major cause of the present economic inflation);

A headlong rush to “green” energy (for which the infrastructure is nowhere near prepared), and regardless of the knowledge that we’d be dependent on most of the lithium for the batteries  being bought from China;

Then, by all means, his opponent would be an excellent choice.

At the same event, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, endorsed Oz.

“We have to grow our pro-Israel position in the United States Senate and I was intrigued by a pro-Israel Muslim. We need him to help scale these relationships and I hope we will see him very soon on the Senate Foreign Relations committee. I proudly, proudly endorse his candidacy,” said Friedman.

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Life isn’t always easy with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman presiding as president of the state Senate, one of his two mandated jobs as lieutenant governor. The other is to chair the Board of Pardons.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, a Republican, said a couple of days exemplify the level of “chaos” Fetterman brought to the body. He believes they highlight the disposition of the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate.

One in 2019, early on in his term. The other was in January 2021.

“It sort of goes with his personality, an anarchist, right?” said Corman. “‘I follow my own rules. I don’t follow the rules of society.’ And in my 24 years, it was the worst two days on the floor of the Senate…The institution is the most important thing and so for those two days, that institution did not have a good look and chaos ensued. And both of those days were because of him because he refused to do his job, which was being the presiding officer, to enforce the rules of the Senate.

“There’s nothing close that ever happened,” said Corman. “We’ve had arguments, we’ve had debates. We had people get upset but never where chaos presented.”

After the first incident, the Senate leadership wrote a letter to Fetterman about his behavior.

“We have rules that are adopted unanimously,” said Corman. “And obviously the job of the presiding officer, whether it be (Fetterman) or one of the members, is to follow the rules. And to make sure the rules are followed.”

The members have a chance to discuss bills and then vote on them.

“There were two different incidents where the lieutenant governor decided not to enforce the rules and apply his own sense of fairness,” said Corman. “Which then led us into chaos.”

That day there was “a motion in question,” he said. Instead of normal discussion and voting, Fetterman allowed a Democratic member to continue talking. Corman, who was the House leader, called out “Point of order.”

“When someone calls ‘point of order,’ you have to recognize that person and he (Fetterman) refused,” said Corman. “And it was just chaos because he didn’t follow the rules.”

“He is the presiding officer but he is not a member of the Senate,” said Corman. “Therefore he needs to follow the parliamentarian.”

In that letter, the senators tell Fetterman “your role…does not entitle you to usurp legislative power assigned to the members.”

They added, “Your self-righteous defiance of the Rules has scarred the institution.”

The letter also accused Fetterman of lying about the incident afterward, with the transcript belying his statements.

Another time Fetterman cast aside his duties to preside over the Senate in a nonpartisan fashion in a fit of partisan pique and tried to seat a Democrat while the election results remained under appeal.

“There was an appeal going on to resolve the matter,” said Corman. “And the Democrats wanted to seat Jim Brewster. Ultimately, there was going to be a vote in the Senate to see whether we would or would not (seat him). And the ultimate decision was to wait until the federal court ruling was rendered.” Otherwise “it would be a mockery on the Senate floor.”

But Fetterman insisted and allowed a Democratic member to keep speaking, “despite the majority saying (Brewster) should not be seated.”

“The rules of the Senate determine how we move forward and he just wouldn’t have it,” said Corman. The members voted to remove Fetterman as presiding officer for that day, he said, after he “continued to scream from the rostrum that Brewster should be seated…Sen. Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland) was kind enough to walk away and say he would wait for the court ruling.”

“At that point (Fetterman) was ultimately escorted off the floor, at his request, by the sergeant at arms,” said Corman.

“We took the unprecedented move to remove him as presiding officer,” said Corman. “The presiding officer is supposed to follow the rules. He doesn’t get to make the rules. Whether he likes it or not, he doesn’t get to make the rules.”

Other governors have assigned duties to their lieutenant governors, but Gov. Tom Wolf has not “to my knowledge given him any responsibilities.”

For example, under Gov. Tom Corbett, Lt. Gov. Jim Crawley “was at every budget meeting. He was a very big part of the administration.”

But Fetterman “was never a part of anything like that.”

Fetterman did not respond to requests for comment.

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Despite offers to debate from the Republican candidates running for governor and U.S. senator, their Democratic opponents have yet to accept the challenge.

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, offered to debate Attorney General Josh Shapiro twice in October, with the venues and dates to be determined by the candidates. Mastriano’s one mandate is that he wants the campaigns to run the debates, not the media.

“As expected, Josh Shapiro doesn’t have the guts to debate Sen. Mastriano without cover from his protectors in the mainstream media,” said a Mastriano campaign spokesperson. “Given the opportunity to meet Sen. Mastriano face to face in a neutral venue with each campaign receiving the exact same terms, Josh made clear that he only wants to debate Sen. Mastriano if the moderators, venue, and on-site media are carefully tailored to give him an artificial advantage.”

Shapiro’s campaign spokesman Will Simons dismissed Mastriano’s proposal. “Doug Mastriano’s unserious proposal is an obvious stunt to avoid any real questions about his extreme agenda and record of conduct by dictating his own rules for debates. Mastriano has spent his entire campaign refusing to answer questions from local outlets across Pennsylvania–refusing to leave his echo chamber of extremists on alt-right media.

“In Pennsylvania, there is a long history of media outlets and independent moderators asking candidates of both parties fair, direct questions about their track records and plans if elected–nobody gets to pick their own moderators or set their own terms.

“It’s unfortunate that Doug Mastriano has recklessly decided to blow up good faith debate negotiations with media outlets across the commonwealth. If he’s ever ready to step up and finally answer questions about his reckless agenda, we look forward to comparing Josh Shapiro’s long record of bringing people together and delivering results for Pennsylvanians with Mastriano’s record of dangerous extremism,” Simons said.

Similarly, Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz is decrying Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s failure to agree to debates. Oz has offered to debate Fetterman five times.

“Doctor Oz has agreed to five debates. John Fetterman has agreed to zero debates. If John is too sick to debate and is concerned he cannot stand in front of cameras for more than 10 minutes, then he should just say so. We’re sure voters would understand and so would we. Otherwise, he should pick some of the many debates Doctor Oz has agreed to or explain why he won’t agree to debate on KDKA on September 6,” said Oz campaign communications director Brittany Yanick.

Fetterman’s campaign did not respond when asked to comment about whether he plans to debate Oz.

Both Democrats are leading in recent polls and also have larger campaign coffers. A recent Trafalgar Group poll has Fetterman at 48.4 and Oz at 43.5 percent. It also puts Shapiro at 48.6 with Mastriano trailing at 44.7.

The Emerson College Poll showed Fetterman leading Oz by four points and Shapiro over Mastriano by three. But the Franklin & Marshall poll showed the Democrats winning by wide margins, with Shapiro at 44 percent to Mastriano’s 33 percent and Fetterman at 43 percent to Oz’s 30 percent.

But debates could be game changers.

Christopher P. Borick, professor of political science and director, Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, said it is not unusual for a frontrunner to spurn debates.

“As for debates, it is a long-established strategy for frontrunners to try and minimize or even forego debates,” said Borick. “The status quo benefits those who are in front, so why give your opponent opportunities to score hits. Of course, those trailing will ask for more debates and use the reluctance of the frontrunner to engage to score a few points. In 2022 this dance is playing out with the GOP candidates looking for opportunities to gain ground and the Democrats not eager to provide those chances.”

The two Republican contenders may also get a boost from a rally with former President Donald Trump planned for Sept. 3 in Wilkes-Barre. Trump endorsed both candidates.

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Despite forecasts of a national red wave, Pennsylvania Democrat nominees for governor and U.S. Senate have double-digit leads in a battleground state that Joe Biden carried by just over 1 percent against Donald Trump.

If Republican candidates like gubernatorial candidate state Sen. Doug Mastriano and U.S. Senate contender Dr. Mehmet Oz are going to have a chance in November, they have to keep the margins close in the Delaware Valley counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery.

“Those counties are vital not just in this election but in every election in large part because of the large number of people who live in those communities,” Berwood Yost, director of the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College, told DVJournal. “These suburban voters used to be solidly Republican and now are more Democrat in their voting habits.”

Yost added, “Republicans can win if they really run up the numbers in the rest of the state, but it’s a lot easier if they do better in those counties.”

In the race to replace retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, the state’s Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, part of the Bernie Sanders wing of the party, has consistently held a double-digit lead in the polls. A new poll from the Center Street PAC gives Fetterman a 47-to-30 percent advantage.

A recent Fox News poll shows Democrat Attorney General Josh Shapiro with a 10-point lead, 50 to 40 percent over Mastriano in the race to replace term-limited Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf.

Trump, who in 2016 carried Pennsylvania by a razor-thin margin, endorsed both Oz and Mastriano during the Republican primary.

A post-primary analysis by the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin and Marshall College called urban and rural the “central dividing line” that was evident in both party primaries, but starker on the Republican side.

“Mastriano’s support mirrors President Trump’s support during his 2016 primary win in Pennsylvania: underperforming in the state’s large central and fringe metros and overperforming in the state’s less dense rural communities,” the analysis said. By contrast, the analysis found Oz “overperformed in the large central and fringe metros, while underperforming in the less dense communities of the state.”

Of Democrats, the analysis says: “Fetterman’s support among Democrats was much stronger in smaller, less densely populated communities than in the large central and fringe metros where Conor Lamb did a bit better. Still, he won convincingly in each community type.”

In the general election, a big part of the problem seems to be the state GOP doesn’t have the strongest nominees, both faring poorly in the Philadelphia suburban counties where Trump and Toomey held their own.

“A conventional conservative Republican rather than a MAGA Republican might fare better,” Matthew Kerbel, a political science professor at Villanova University, told DVJournal.

“For Mastriano, his problem is ideological. Voters are turned off by a candidate who can be positioned as extreme,” Kerbel said. “Oz has more of an authenticity problem. Stressing that he is from New Jersey plays into doubts people already had. Fetterman comes across as genuine. He’s certainly a liberal, but he has a demeanor that is blue collar, which minimizes his ideology.”

Delaware and Montgomery Counties are more closely aligned with Philadelphia while Bucks and Chester counties have rural areas and are more politically diverse, said Dan Mallinson, a public policy professor at Pennsylvania State University. Still, he said, the counties are much bluer than before.

“People come to the eastern part of the state out of New York City and New Jersey as those areas have become more expensive to live,” Mallinson said. “The general movement is in line with Democrats. A lot of wealth has come into that area, which used to be aligned with Republicans as the pro-business party. But now the Democrats have a lot of wealthy people in their party.”

On the flip side, Mallinson predicts both races will tighten, noting a sizeable number of Democrats changing their registration to Republican, though many have been voting Republican for a while before the registration change. Moreover, most elected Republicans in the state seem to be warming a bit to Mastriano.

“Mastriano and Shapiro remind me of the 2016 presidential race,” he said. “The Republicans had an outsider and the Democrats had an established, experienced heir apparent. That doesn’t always work out so well for all the talk we heard about Never Trumpers. We’ll see what happens with Mastriano.”

Pat Poprik, chair of the Bucks County Republican Committee, believes voters will vote their pocketbooks.

“For decades, the Philadelphia suburbs have been a bellwether for the national political environment,” said Poprik.  “Bucks County, in particular, has always been the focus of statewide and national attention for its ‘swing’ status.  For any candidate to be successful statewide, they must perform well here in our region.  We believe that historic inflation, rising gas prices, and higher food costs are driving suburban voters to reject the failed Democrat policies that have led us here.  By offering an alternative vision for our commonwealth and our country, Republican candidates will succeed in November.”

And Liz Preate Havey, the Republican chair for Montgomery County said, “Twenty years ago a successful Republican statewide candidate had to win convincingly in the southeast in order to offset large Democratic wins in the cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. With huge Republican growth outside of the southeast region, it is no longer necessary for Republicans to win the Southeast. However, Republicans still need to remain competitive in the suburbs to win statewide and thus still need to appeal to suburban voters.”

While neither Biden nor Trump is popular in the state now, Trump’s favorable rating in the state is 44 percent compared to Biden at 42 percent, according to the Fox poll. So, while Democrats wouldn’t likely want to jeopardize their leads by bringing in Biden to stump, the two lagging Republicans may have nothing to lose from a Trump appearance to excite the base, should their fortunes not reverse.

The poll found more than half of voters did not think Oz was familiar enough with Pennsylvania to represent the state, while fewer than a quarter were worried about Fetterman’s health after he had a recent stroke. Still, Oz leads 10 points among rural voters. That doesn’t quite compensate for the 23-point Fetterman lead among suburban voters near the population centers of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties.

In Pennsylvania, as well as the rest of the country, the top issues for voters tend to advantage Republicans.

For Pennsylvania voters, the top concern is inflation, and most disapprove of how Biden and Democrats have handled rising prices. Democrats say abortion is their top issue, but only 14 percent of Keystone State voters agree.

More than half say their financial situation is worse than two years earlier, while more than one-third said it’s the same and just 10 percent say they are doing better.

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Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman returned to the campaign trail in Erie on Friday, three months after suffering a serious stroke that he acknowledged could have ended his life and has left him with lingering health problems.

Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, only addressed the enthusiastic crowd of supporters at the Bayside Convention Center for 11 minutes. He did not shy away from discussing his health issues.

“My life could have ended. It’s the truth. But I’m so grateful to be here tonight,” Fetterman told the crowd, his speech halting at times.

He also had plenty to say about his GOP opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz. “There are a lot of differences between me and Dr. Oz. Who would have ever thought I’d be the normal one?”

Before that event, Fetterman granted his first post-recovery interview to KDKA TV in Pittsburgh, saying that he was “grateful” to have survived.

“That was a very grave situation at the time,” he told John Delano. “If it had happened at 1:00 in the morning, or if it would have happened in Elk County, I probably wouldn’t be here with you right now.”

Fetterman said his doctors okayed his return to the campaign trail.

“I have zero, no physical limits,” said the candidate. But he did admit he was having difficulties with “auditory processing,” which Delano called a hearing issue. And he also has some lingering problems with speech when he will “mush two words together,” Fetterman said in the interview. He plans to go to all 67 counties before the election.

Oz, who according to his campaign “has traveled over 3,000 miles, made over 140 campaign stops, and visited over 30 counties” since winning the primary, has spent three months mocking what they call Fetterman’s “basement campaign.”

“Despite news that John Fetterman is attending closed-door fundraisers, it has been 91 days since John Fetterman’s last public campaign event,” the Oz campaign emailed Thursday.

Oz has called on Fetterman to agree to five debates before the Nov. 8 election.

“Dr. Mehmet Oz has committed to participate in five moderated debates across Pennsylvania. Fetterman has agreed to zero debates, and he has hidden from reporters and voters for 90-plus days because he doesn’t want to answer for his radical views. The people of Pennsylvania deserve to hear from their candidates, and it’s time that Fetterman answers the tough questions,” said Rachel Tripp, senior communications advisor.

Fetterman’s campaign did not respond when asked whether he plans to debate Oz.

A recent Fox News poll showed Fetterman with an 11-point lead over Oz, 47-36 percent.

However, Republican consultant Charlie Gerow says he believes Oz can still win if he tailors his message to what voters are talking about and stops the daily social media jibs that “make people laugh inside campaign headquarters.”

Oz should “talk about gas prices and grocery prices,” said Gerow. “And the fact that you can’t get things you’re looking for at the store from baby formula to feminine products to food. I mean, that’s what people are concerned about when they wake up in the morning. Not with how many days John Fetterman has been off the campaign trail.”

“I want to make it clear, I think (Oz) can win,” said Gerow. “But he’s got to hone his message and be focused like a laser beam on what voters are talking about and thinking about.”

The Republican National Committee welcomed Fetterman back to the campaign trail with a barrage of criticism. It cited Fetterman’s policies, including supporting Democrats’ $1.9 trillion ‘stimulus’ that fueled inflation.

“Now, in the middle of a recession, Fetterman supports the ‘Bidenflation Scam,’ a bill which will shrink the economy, kill thousands of jobs, impose crushing taxes on families and businesses, and worsen – not reduce – inflation,” the RNC claimed.

Additionally, Fetterman signed a pledge to ban fracking. He said, “I don’t support fracking at all and I never have,” calling it a “stain” on Pennsylvania.”

The RNC also slammed Fetterman for depending on his parents for support well into adulthood.

“While claiming to understand the plights of everyday Pennsylvanians, Fetterman was living off of his parents’ money well into his 40s after attending Harvard University and buying a condo from his sister for $1.”

The group also panned his record as the chair of the state Board of Pardons where he  appointed Celeste Trusty, who has advocated for disarming the police and abolishing “mandatory life without parole as a sentence for first- and second-degree murder.” Pennsylvania sheriffs have voiced concern about his soft-on-crime record and the Pennsylvania FOP chose to endorse Oz over Fetterman, the RNC said.

“If John Fetterman truly understood the plight of Pennsylvania workers and families, he’d be adamantly opposed to his party weaponizing the IRS. Does Fetterman support deploying 87,000 additional IRS agents for the purpose of auditing everyday Americans? Pennsylvanians definitely do not,” said RNC spokesperson Sean Shute.

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A few days ago, a client came into my office.  She had a very rambunctious 5-year-old son who kept climbing over her lap and making it difficult for us to discuss her immigration status. Finally, and without a “by your leave,” she opened up her blouse and the rambunctious boy started nursing.

While I was happy to have him stay in one place (and he most assuredly stayed in that one place for the rest of the appointment) it was a bit disconcerting to see a kid who was old enough to count to 100 and recite his alphabet having lunch on mommy’s breast.

I know that a lot of people are big supporters of breastfeeding, as am I. I’ve gotten into some trouble in the past with my opinions about breastfeeding in public, though, and I was even interviewed on “Good Morning America” for an article I once wrote pleading for modesty. But that’s water (milk?)  under the bridge. No, this is about my shock at seeing a child who was well out of Pampers still nursing.

If you’re like me and you find the idea of a 5-year-old still nursing, what are we to think when it’s a 52-year-old man?

Metaphorically speaking, that is.

I’m referring to the Democrat’s Senate candidate, John Fetterman. According to recent reports in The Philadelphia Inquirer and elsewhere, the former mayor of Braddock and current lieutenant governor allowed his parents to essentially pay his rent and his expenses well into his adult years. They are well off– far from the blue-collar stalwarts his PR team has disingenuously spun for the unsuspecting voter– and they’ve subsidized both him and his family for years.

Some might find that to be fine, especially those who have no problem letting their adult children live in their basements.  Many use the excuse of the pandemic, pointing to the fact that a generation of young people lost their jobs and their homes and was forced to return to their ancestral manse.

But that doesn’t fly when talking about Fetterman, who has been out in the working world for decades.  Well, that’s actually not the truth. For most of his adult years, Fetterman has been going to school and then holding government positions. And while there’s nothing wrong with extending your education (I’ve got over 20 years of school under my belt,) it’s interesting that Fetterman’s basically allowed other people to support him during his interesting life. His parents are two of the most important folks, as is his sister. And then, of course, the taxpayers have picked up his tab from his time as a “public servant.”

I think my annoyance derives not so much from the fact that Fetterman has grifted off of his family and the taxpayers for so long. People do that. In fact, I’m sure we’ve all got a John Fetterman in our own families.

What annoys, and let’s be honest, angers me is the fraud that he is attempting to perpetuate and which so many in the media cooperate: The idea that he is a man of the people, a hardscrabble example of someone who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, a hero of the proletariat. A mensch. He is, in fact, none of those things. He is, in fact, the son of privilege. And he’s been dishonest about that identity.

When I posted about this on social media, someone replied that Franklin and Teddy Roosevelt were also sons of privilege but they used their privilege to help the disenfranchised.

That is a specious argument.  Neither Teddy nor Franklin allowed themselves to be supported by mommy and daddy for the greater part of their lives. They had actual jobs, including ones in the Oval Office. Teddy was in the military, charging up San Juan Hill. Franklin was Assistant Secretary of the Navy (as had been Teddy before him). They did not ask their parents to pay their rent for them.

And so, I do hope Pennsylvania voters will consider this when deciding who to vote for in November.  Aside from all of the substantive differences between the two senatorial candidates, there is one that matters just as much. Dr. Mehmet Oz might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he worked for what he achieved. Fetterman is still, apparently, sitting on mommy’s lap at lunchtime.

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It is pretty rare that a candidate for the United States Senate would pledge to kill one of his state’s key industries. Many would call it cold-hearted or out of touch. Some might even say it’s political suicide. John Fetterman? He’d call it a “platform.”

Just this week, comments that Fetterman made during his ill-fated 2016 run for Senate resurfaced. He said, “If we did things right in this state, we wouldn’t have fracking,” calling a critical segment of Pennsylvania’s economy “a stain on our state.”

Fetterman’s callous disregard for the Pennsylvanians who work in the natural gas industry is breathtaking. His ban would immediately upend their livelihoods, leaving them without a paycheck and with few prospects for finding work elsewhere. But the fallout would not end there.

Natural gas development has lifted up all Pennsylvanians, raising home values while attracting workers and investment to the state. One restaurant owner said that a fracking ban would be “disastrous” to her business, too. Already, Pennsylvania families are barely scraping by as inflation eats away at their paychecks month after month. To add in a fracking ban would be just plain cruel.

Fetterman is obviously wrong to advocate for policies that would cripple so many Pennsylvania families. His comments indicate a fundamental misunderstanding of energy policy. The fact is, fracking is a clean way to secure our energy future. As natural gas production and consumption increase, total U.S greenhouse gas emissions have fallen 20 percent since 2005.

Even better, fracking has repeatedly been shown to reduce energy costs — this is especially important as prices continue to spiral out of control. A 2020 study found that a fracking ban would increase annual household energy costs by over $600 per year. Another report by the University of Pennsylvania found that fracking could reduce the long-run volatility of oil prices by up to 42 percent. To leave these savings on the table for the sake of advancing an incoherent far-left environmental agenda would be malpractice.

Producing our energy at home is about more than simple economics, though. It’s imperative for our national security. Just look to Europe, where reliance on Russian gas could lead to rationing in the wake of the war in Ukraine. In an era of more intense global competition, a strong domestic energy supply will undoubtedly be critical if we are called on to defend our nation.

One might think Fetterman’s ban proposal is out of line with national Democrats. Nope. Opposition to fracking is simply another front in Joe Biden’s war on American energy. His administration has halted oil and gas leases on federal land, made production far more costly, and asked for billions in tax increases on energy producers. They brag about sky-high gas prices accelerating the “transformation” to $67,000 electric vehicles, sneering at regular folks who suffer at the pump. And instead of lowering prices at home, Biden shipped more than 5 million barrels of oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve overseas—including to China. Put it all together, and the average American family has seen its energy costs increase by almost $1,500 since Biden took office.

Contrast that with the record of the Trump administration, where I served. During his term, the U.S. was the largest producer of oil and gas in the world. For the first time in over 70 years, we were energy independent, ending our reliance on foreign energy imports. We pursued an “all-of-the-above” strategy, harnessing the totality of our energy resources—including oil, gas, nuclear, and renewables—to strengthen our production capacity while working to protect the environment. And gas prices barely topped $3 per gallon. We set out the blueprint for a strong American energy policy. It’s a shame the Democrats tore it up.

The bottom line? Fetterman’s fracking ban is wrong on every front, but I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. Economic illiteracy and love for government overreach are staples of every Bernie Sanders acolyte.

Maybe Fetterman should consider that fracking isn’t the real stain on Pennsylvania — he is.

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Polls show Americans of both parties are concerned about President Joe Biden’s ability, at age 79, to handle the responsibilities of the presidency. But will those concerns translate into less support for Democratic candidates in the Delaware Valley this November?

Concerns among voters about the president’s age and health are not new. In a national POLITICO/Morning Consult poll last November, when Biden’s approval ratings were higher than they are now, only 40 percent of voters believed he was in good health, with 46 percent calling him “mentally unfit.”

“President Biden is not awake currently; that’s obvious to anyone with eyes,” said Albert Eisenberg, principal at the political strategy firm BlueStateRed. “And when I talk to Democrats, they say, ‘This guy’s not the guy.’ Obviously, Republicans and independents think that.”

Republicans will likely use that attack against Democrats is make sure voters believe the issue isn’t just Biden and his age and deficits, but rather to paint the whole Democratic party as being responsible for the situation.

“You see swing district and swing-state Democrats outperforming Biden,” Eisenberg said about the current political landscape. “(Biden’s) going to bring these candidates down, but Republicans need to close that gap.”

Jeff Jubelirer, vice president at Bellevue Communications, says he believes those who have doubts about the president’s condition likely already disapprove of the president, meaning they are already motivated to vote for Republicans.

However, Jubelirer added that anything can make a difference in tight races.

“If it’s going to be a 1 to 2 percent race… this issue could be a 1 percent difference,” he said.

In the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race, Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz is projecting the question of the ability to govern onto his opponent, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman. It comes in the wake of a stroke that felled Fetterman and has kept him off the campaign trail since just before the May 17 primary.

During a recent DVJournal podcast, National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said questions about Fetterman’s health are fair game. “I think voters have a right to know if you’re healthy or not. When people run, they should be very clear about [their] health.”

Oz is running a “basement Fetterman” campaign on social media, questioning if Fetterman has the stamina needed to represent Pennsylvania. Eisenberg said the strategy is a strong one.

“That is a really effective way to connect him to Biden,” he said. “Just putting their face next to Biden isn’t going to work.” By also creating questions about Fetterman’s ability to govern, Oz is making the strategy stronger than just questioning Biden, who, of course, isn’t his opponent.

“I think the strategy is, ‘Will he be there for you, Pennsylvania if he’s not well?’” Jubelirer said. But he added it’s important for Republican candidates to be cautious. “You don’t want to pile on his well-being.”

Eisenberg agreed. He said Oz and other Republicans can’t be perceived as “ganging up” on things Biden and other Democratic candidates cannot control.

At the same time, the silence from Delaware Valley Democrats in defending Biden and his capabilities is hard to miss. DVJournal reached out to the region’s entire Democratic congressional delegation asking if his recent COVID-19 diagnosis created any concerns about his ability to govern. All declined to respond.

In a new CNN poll, 75 percent of Democrats said they wanted someone other than Biden to be their party’s nominee in 2024. The numbers were similar in a recent NYTimes/Siena College poll. Asked why they wanted their party to make a change, about one-third of Democrats cited Biden’s age and mental acuity. It has been a repeated topic of news coverage from liberal news outlets like the Times and CNN, and many Democrats have publicly acknowledged their concerns about Biden’s age.

Meanwhile, a group of 54 House Republicans, led by former White House physician Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), sent a letter to the White House calling on Biden to take a cognitive abilities test.

The White House dismissed the letter as a stunt.

While the president’s age and sometimes embarrassing gaffes aren’t good for Democrats, Jubelirer said voters’ decisions would most likely come down to one simple sentiment.

“Most voters are like, ‘I’m pissed off. Who’s in charge?’” he said. “You’re going to get blamed.

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Although Dr. Mehmet Oz won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate candidacy in May, the current senator, Pat Toomey, just endorsed him this week.

Toomey, a thoughtful politician, and quintessential Pennsylvania Republican moderate, is retiring at the end of this term.

“Dr. Oz is a strong Republican candidate whose platform includes fixing our economic woes, restoring America’s energy independence, and stopping illegal immigration,” Toomey said Wednesday. “I support his candidacy and look forward to being helpful to him in the upcoming election.”

Naturally, the Oz campaign embraced the sitting senator’s support.

“Dr. Oz welcomes and appreciates Sen. Toomey’s support,” said Brittany Yanick, a campaign spokeswoman.

But whether the endorsement makes a difference remains to be seen.

“I don’t think it’s that impactful,” said Jeff Jubelirer, a vice president with Bellevue Communications Group. “Toomey, as a lame duck senator as well as one of the few Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, is not as well-liked by the GOP electorate in Pennsylvania as he once was. It would have been a surprise if he didn’t endorse Oz and it may be a bigger deal if he decides not to endorse Mastriano.”

Toomey had no comment on Wednesday regarding state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican running for governor.

“We are seeing a further consolidation of the Republican Party after a bruising primary in the Pennsylvania Senate race,” said Charlie O’Neill, a Republican consultant.  “I anticipate many more Republicans – and some Democrats – will continue to support Dr. Oz through endorsements and campaign contributions.”

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Oz’s Democratic opponent, was endorsed by Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr. on May 17 after he won his primary.

“Tonight, I’m proud to endorse my friend, Lt. Governor John Fetterman, to represent Pennsylvania alongside me in the U.S. Senate. Among a talented, experienced field of candidates, Pennsylvania Democrats chose John to help defend and expand the Senate majority,” Casey wrote on Twitter.

Republicans are hoping Toomey’s endorsement gives Oz a much-needed boost. The celebrity doctor has fallen behind Fetterman in fundraising and is also lagging in the polls.

The Inquirer reports  Fetterman raised $8.3 million in the 44 days from the primary to June 30, a record for U.S. Senate candidates. And he did it while suffering the effects of a stroke suffered days before the primary.

Despite that, Fetterman took in $8.3 million in the 44 days from the primary to June 30—more than the state’s incumbent senators have ever raised in an entire three-month reporting period. It was more than triple what he raised in a similar time frame leading up to the primary.

Oz has already spent more than $14 million of his own money. His campaign says he has been traveling around the state engaging in retail politics.

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After two months off the campaign trail recovering from a stroke, U.S. Senate candidate Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) is expected to make his first public appearance on Thursday, speaking to potential donors at Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania in Lower Merion.

But some local Jewish activists say Fetterman is the wrong candidate to support, and they point to his recent endorsement by an anti-Israel progressive group.

The fact that Fetterman is making an appearance is news in itself, a sign he is recovering from the effects of a stroke he suffered in May. According to an AP report on Friday, Fetterman “sometimes struggles to speak smoothly,” a claim the campaign has not denied.

But how Fetterman speaks may not be as important as what Fetterman says about issues related to Israel and antisemitism. Fetterman is an outspoken member of the progressive wing of a Democratic Party struggling with antisemitism within its ranks.

For example, Fetterman has been endorsed by Peace Action, a far-left group that supports the Boycott Divestment Sanction movement that targets Israel. Fetterman said he was “grateful” for its endorsement. Some Jewish voters say he shouldn’t be.

“The well-being of a strong, secure and vibrant Jewish state of Israel with an undivided Jerusalem as its capital should be a priority for every American,” said Steve Feldman, executive director of the Zionist Organization of America Philadelphia, when asked to comment on Peace Action’s Fetterman endorsement. “Weakening Israel, dividing Jerusalem and supporting terrorists and the creation of a nation led by terrorists is dangerous for America and the world. The Palestinian Authority has paid terrorists who have murdered Americans. The Palestinian Authority should not be the beneficiary of American funding, whether directly or indirectly.”

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Republican running for the Senate seat, said, “It’s no surprise that John Fetterman was endorsed by yet another radical far-Left, anti-Israel group. Whether it’s proudly advocating for the Iran deal or touting his endorsements by radical groups like Peace Action that would allow Israel’s enemies to get nuclear weapons, Fetterman aligns himself with groups whose goals directly oppose the United States and Israel.”

The Iran deal  is an agreement between western nations and the mullahs who govern the Islamist nation of Iran. It was advocated by the Obama administration, but had bipartisan opposition, including from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)

Peace Action has called for the United States to ‘stop protecting Israel’s nuclear weapons in the Middle East,’ and is a vocal defender of the Iran deal, the Oz campaign said.

Fetterman said he would vote for the Iran deal because “I believe strongly in President Obama and the way he handled foreign affairs as president,” though he admitted “everyone agrees it’s sort of an imperfect deal,”  The Washington Post reports.

Fetterman still wants the Biden administration to push for the Iran Deal, even as revelations of controversial American concessions began to emerge. Among them: Greenlighting a $10 billion Russian-Iranian nuclear contract and removing the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) from the U.S. terrorist list.

“I support President Biden getting back into the deal. I think President Trump made a mistake by removing us from the Iran nuclear deal,” Fetterman said at the Pittsburgh Foreign Policy Forum on March 9. “Longer and stronger in terms of what I believe. And Iran should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. But at the end of the day, it must be done on a trust-but-verify basis.”

The Fetterman campaign did not respond to requests for comment. However, in an interview with Jewish Insider, Fetterman said he opposes BDS and supports Israel’s right to defend itself.

Jill Zipin, founder and chair of Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania, said Thursday’s event is not open to the press. Asked about the Peace Action endorsement, she said she had never heard of the group.

“DJOP does not support Boycott Divestment and Sanction,” said Zipin. “I don’t know anything about that group and at this point I can’t give you any sort of comment because I’m not familiar with the group but our group does not support BDS…I can’t speak to who gives him endorsements or who does not. We support John Fetterman because he supports a two-state solution and he is a strong supporter of Israel. He’s also been endorsed by Democratic Majority for Israel.”

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