Does Pennsylvania have a U.S. Senator? I only ask because John Fetterman has been hospitalized for what seems like a decade by now. The Keystone progressive, who somehow handily beat Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz in the 2022 Senate race, was immediately riddled with health episodes. During a Senate Democrat winter retreat, he had to be rushed to the hospital. Fetterman would later be hospitalized again, opting to stay for a month to deal with bouts of depression. That’s when his wife ditched him to take the family on vacation.
Did they go to get some peace of mind, or did they see an opening for a holiday without worries that someone needed to watch dad consistently? Who knows? The vacation itself wasn’t controversial—it’s just the unseemly social media posts, with this family acting as if Mr. Fetterman was fine. He’s not. On March 14, his hospital stay was extended another two weeks because doctors needed more time to balance his medications (via NY Post):
Pennsylvania voters weigh in on Democrat Senator John Fetterman:
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 25, 2023
"I don't think the man is fit for the job." pic.twitter.com/vkR0b6jG6Q
Sen. John Fetterman’s health is reportedly improving, but he could remain hospitalized for up to two more weeks as doctors work to get his medication “exactly right.”
The Pennsylvania Democrat checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Feb. 16 for treatment for clinical depression just days after he was hospitalized after feeling lightheaded at a Democratic Party retreat.
“John Fetterman is making progress in his recovery from clinical depression and could leave Walter Reed within next two weeks,” CNN congressional reporter Manu Raju tweeted on Tuesday.
“The senator’s physician recently informed him that he will be ‘as good or better than his best days post-stroke,’” Raju added.
Fetterman’s health struggles began May 13 of last year when he suffered a stroke during the final days of Pennsylvania’s Senate primary campaign.
That stroke almost killed him, and it would have been appropriate for Fetterman to drop out and focus on his recovery. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) suffered a severe stroke during his time in office. He spent nearly a year away from the upper chamber focusing on his recovery, which included learning to walk again; the stroke deeply affected the left side of his body. Kirk should have decided not to run for re-election in 2016. He rode in on the 2010 Tea Party wave, and his Democratic opponent was milquetoast. Six years later, Tammy Duckworth was vying for his seat, and she now occupies it. It was a presidential year—no way Kirk would win re-election.
For Fetterman, the critical months of his recovery were hampered by campaign events where his motor skills showed evident signs of decay. He rambled, misspoke, and said things that didn’t make sense.
“The Eagles are better than the Eagles” was one of his most infamous outbursts on the stump, along with ‘Hi, goodnight, everybody’ during the first and only televised debate between Fetterman and Oz. The man is not healthy. It’s time we admit that he cannot do the job. Even with all the tweaks and modifications installed to ensure he could follow what was happening in the Senate, Fetterman still couldn’t take it. Before his hospitalization, there were reports that the Pennsylvania Democrat couldn’t comprehend other people’s communications. When others speak to him, it sounds like the teachers from the Peanuts cartoons. There’s also a realization within his camp that Fetterman most likely has permanent brain damage.
And yet, he co-signed some legislation to make railway transportation safer amid the East Palestine, Ohio crash. All this was done while he was hospitalized, so what’s happening with this crew up on the Hill? Someone whom the people of Pennsylvania did not elect has seized the duties and responsibilities of John Fetterman, or they’re abusing him while in hospital, forcing him to sign off on pieces of paper he cannot comprehend.
The extended hospital stay was reported on March 14. He should be discharged this week. We shall see.