Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is the answer to the question: Who walks like a Republican, talks like a Republican, votes like a Republican, but by party affiliation, is not a Republican? Why? Because Sen. Fetterman is his party’s ultimate DINO, Democrat In Name Only. You know, like the Republicans who refuse to drink the MAGA Kool-Aid that the president calls RINOs, Republicans In Name Only.
As Mr. Trump and his minions continue to illegally seize power and disenfranchise those who disagree with their authoritarian ways, Fetterman takes every opportunity to grovel at the president’s feet and accept whatever crumbs he can get in return.
Fetterman Supports “Nuclear Option”
The latest capitulation from Mr. Fetterman came today when he told reporters that he was in favor of the Republicans’ “nuclear option’ to end the government shutdown. The “nuclear option” is a maneuver whereby the majority party overrides the Senate’s standing rules with a simple majority vote, rather than the usually required two-thirds supermajority.
His rationale for supporting this option is to open up the government to allow a House-passed temporary funding measure to pass the Senate with a simple majority vote, thus freeing up funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This program funds food stamps for struggling Americans who rely on groceries, and it will run short of money if the government remains locked down. The idea is a noble one for the senator, but he chooses to side with the party most responsible for the budget impasse.
It’s the Republicans who chose to shut down the government rather than extend Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire Dec. 1. Open enrollment starts on Nov. 1, and the Democrats want to make sure that funding is in place for the 24 million people who buy their health care coverage in the ACA marketplaces. Unfortunately, Mr. Fetterman has backed the wrong horse again.
Down This Road Before
Unfortunately, this is becoming a habit with the senator from Pennsylvania. Fetterman’s love affair with Mr. Trump began last December when he joined the president’s social media site “Truth Social” and called for a pardon for Mr. Trump, who was convicted of 24 counts of falsifying business records in relation to the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. Then, in January, the senator paid a visit to the president-elect at his home in Mar-a-Lago, and he referred to the meeting as being positive and said that Mr. Trump was cordial.
And the bromance has continued unabated. He was a co-sponsor of one of Trump’s pet bills, the Laken Riley Act. He supported Republicans in denying detained or deported immigrants their due process. He gave Trump the green light to slash spending without oversight.
He has been a reckless supporter of Israel, even as 68,000 Palestinians in Gaza died during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war against Hamas. And he voted to confirm more of Trump’s cabinet nominees than any other Democrat, including being the only member of his party who voted yes on Attorney General Pam Bondi’s nomination.
Fetterman’s Plight
I have been very sympathetic to the physical and mental challenges that Mr. Fetterman has experienced. His stroke and his battle with depression have made his journey all the more difficult, and he warrants our compassion.
I also am not opposed to maverick politicians who sometimes go down their own path to uphold their principles. I am a great admirer of elected officials such as John Lewis, William Proxmire, Bella Abzug, John McCain, and Shirley Chisholm, who rarely took the easy road but never compromised their beliefs for an easy victory.
Where Sen. Fetterman goes astray is in his deference to a president who has no respect for the rule of law, common decency, or for other people. Compromise is the art of politics, but when you spend your entire life cheating, swindling, lying, and showing total disregard for others, our country, and the office he holds, it’s tantamount to giving an arsonist a match. It will never end well.
