I’m trying not to freak out about all of the midterm polling and all of the reports about the Republicans taking back the House. Election Day is less than two weeks away (November 8th) and it’s important that everyone votes. Don’t let this be a low turnout election. Everything is on the line, like always. The only thing keeping me hopeful about the polling is that the polling numbers likely don’t reflect what I hope will be a wave of new voters turning out specifically for abortion rights and the protection of reproductive freedom. That is a huge f–king issue and the male-dominated media barely acknowledges the reality on the ground, that women are f–king terrified that our rights are being rolled back. Speaking of, there was a debate in Pennsylvania last night for the Senate seat. John Fetterman versus Mehmet Oz. When the topic of abortion came up, Oz made his position clear: abortion rights should be decided between women, doctors, governors, state senators, mayors, city council members and town sheriffs.
Asked whether he supports abortion aside from cases of rape, incest or a life-threatening situation to the mother, Oz said that it should be up to states to decide how they handle abortion access and that the federal government should stay out of it.
“As a physician, I’ve been in the room when there’s some difficult conversations happening. I don’t want the federal government involved with that at all,” he added. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves.”
Oz said that as a senator, he would vote against any federal bill that tried to make abortion either legal or illegal nationwide, including one from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
Fetterman’s campaign jumped on Oz’s statement and they’ve already cut some ads about it. Keep in mind, the GOP’s official position has always been some variation of “there shouldn’t be a federal protection OR ban for abortion.” They’ve always wanted states to determine reproductive rights, so in that sense, Oz’s position isn’t radical at all – he’s just saying the GOP position rather plainly, that a state or locality can impose itself on a person’s medical choices. The problem is that Lindsey Graham let the cat out of the bag last month – if the Republicans get any kind of majority in the House or Senate, they’re going for a federal abortion ban. Which was always the ultimate endgame. So vote accordingly.
Holy shit: Oz says his abortion position: should be between "a woman, her doctor, and local political leaders" #PASenDebate pic.twitter.com/UDiJvDYHYo
— Pat Dennis (@patdennis) October 26, 2022
Dr. Oz literally said tonight that he wants "local political leaders" (like his buddy Doug Mastriano) to decide whether or not women have access to safe + legal abortions
That is EXTREME
These critical decisions should be made between a woman and her doctor. Period. pic.twitter.com/lWeYm6lTgN
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) October 26, 2022
NEWS: Our campaign has raised $500k since the debate.
Keep it rolling https://t.co/xGVug6PSWK
— Brendan McPhillips (@BrendanMcP) October 26, 2022
Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red.
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- CULVER CITY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – FEBRUARY 12: American-Turkish TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz arrives at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party 2022 held at 3Labs on February 12, 2022 in Culver City, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 662027907, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Dr. Mehmet Oz, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- CULVER CITY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – FEBRUARY 12: American-Turkish TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz arrives at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party 2022 held at 3Labs on February 12, 2022 in Culver City, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 662027914, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Dr. Mehmet Oz, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
Is he actually a medical doctor? What kind of doctor believes medical issues should be decided by politicians? His lack of ethics is mind blowing. I’m speechless.
His specialty was apparently cardiovascular surgery. Don’t see how that gave him much experience with abortion. He should have shut up after saying woman and doctor.
Yes, he’s an actual MD and was apparently actually a pretty good surgeon. He should have stuck to surgery and not started chasing celebrity and now politics!
Surgeons have notoriously poor people skills. Just saying.
He’s now a MAGA doctor so in reality, he’s not an actual doctor anymore.
And John Eastman was a “real” lawyer – a well-respected one even.
We need to let go of the idea that credentials can save you from being a fascist MAGAt.
That ship sailed during the height of the pandemic.
@BrassyRebel-
And still being battered against the rocky shore to this day forward.
We are not a free society if local politicians have control over our bodies. OUR BODIES. Imagine if, no I can’t imagine it. Please vote.
That’s right, local realtors turned mayors should definitely make important medical decisions for the women in their towns.
Doctor: You want an abortion? Well, I’ll have to call a meeting of the park board.
Oz really did say the quiet part out loud.
@Brassy Rebel – Don’t forget the city council also needs to review any healthcare for a woman of child bearing years that could potentially have an abortive effect if she became pregnant. “No sweetie that medically necessary treatment is only for people without viable uteruses. Please suffer now and call us post-menopause.”
In red states with these draconian abortion bans, doctors are already having to consult lawyers and hospital boards to get permission to treat women with medical emergencies related to pregnancy. Unfortunately, we’re not that far away from consulting local politicians who often serve on local hospital boards.
In a Thousand Splendid Suns, we get a peek into the world of women’s healthcare under the Taliban. Dirty hospitals, poorly trained doctors. I get that the Taliban hates women, but women also birth and raise sons. Why don’t they want women to at least have sanitary conditions? And now we’re seeing how that happens. Turn women’s bodies over to the legislation of male run, theocratic bureaucracies where the highest priority for medical staff is avoiding criminal charges rather than keeping women healthy, and here we are.
There’s a decent Amy Schumer video circulating where Amy has to consult everyone and their cousin for birth control, showing how absolutely ridiculous this is. I’ll be early voting but I’m in a blue state, keeping it blue and figuring out which judges won’t betray me. ❤ to all the US celebitches voting for what ought to be basic human rights.
In fairness, local political leaders DO have a stake in this. They’re so often the ones paying for the procedure, after all. 🤣😂😭
Comment of the day!
Hahaha good point!
Everyone single one of those fuckers voting against abortion would have or have paid for abortion for their mistress. Hope they have good friend doctors once they make abortion federally fucking illegal. Reality now reminds me of that episode of the black mirror where the surgeon that had been raped started implanted uteruses into men against abortions (politicians, priests) and all but the priest went to another state for the abortion, and one was a law maker who had helped pass a bill to make it illegal in his home state for abortions!!! I cannot believe it has to come to this. I want to weep for my daughters and all the women out there, but I will definitely be voting.
See whenever I have a medical question that could change the rest of my life I alway go to my city council to see what they think. 1. He is a snake oil salesmen. 2. He lies 3. Lives in NJ & 4. Has dual citizenship w/Turkey & while that is his business it becomes ours if he holds a senate seat. Members of the US military from cook to General are not allowed any citizenship but that of the US as you can’t serve 2 masters so why would a US Senator be allowed to? Let’s not even venture into his close personal relationship w/Erdogan. I saw a comment on Twitter this morning that is relevant here . The people of Missouri in 2000 voted for a dead man over John Ashcroft for senator. They had no idea what they would get but decided a man who died 6 weeks before the election in a plane crash was a better choice than Ashcroft. I feel the same about Oz. Plus there is a big difference between cognitive & speech while recovering from a stroke.
Weird how Oz sounded befuddled when it’s JF who’s working through speech aphasia. I wonder if Pennsylvania will do the right thing. I’m in a town surrounded by GOPrs, so I look to CB for some sanity. Thanks to all these comments, I don’t feel so alone 🙂
I don’t think it’s an accident that Oz votes in Turkey, served in the Turkish army and doesn’t appear to have any problem with Turkey’s dictatorship. Turkey is a place where honor killings are acceptable, i.e. if a woman/girl does something a male relative believes has ‘dishonored’ the family, the men in her family can kill her and get away with it.
Sounds like the Bible Belt five years from now.
Or the US come January.
+1
I literally couldn’t sleep last night because I’m so terrified. And if the GOP wins this election, they’ll be able to steal the presidential election in 2024. I hope you’re right about the polling but here in Wisconsin the tired old, racist, bogus “soft on crime” attacks against the Dem candidate are apparently working. At this point I’m more disgusted by the swing voters who buy into this fearmongering than I am by the right wing nuts.
I look at Doug Mastriano and shudder. Dr Oz should not be allowed to even run due to his ties to Turkey. We Pennsylvanians need to do the right thing.
there is a Doug M commercial made by his team that I thought was made by his opponent. he is that creepy.
I live in Bryn Mawr and I see way more Fetterman and Shapiro signs but this election is keeping me up at night
I will never forgive Oprah for this putrefying piece of turd that she saddled us with.
Same. Why Oprah, whyyy?
When people become rich and powerful enough to live in very expensive echo chambers, it seems the only criterion for their decisions is selfish caprice. Due diligence on Oz would have uncovered information that should have precluded Oprah giving him her (then) highly-credible imprimatur. Instead, a lying soulless grifter gained national credibility and access to millions of wallets. And don’t get me started on “Dr.” Phil.
There are many reasons I do not laud Oprah and Oz is one of the biggest.
Same. Oz and Jenny McCarthy. Horrid to have given them platforms.
White women, here’s your chance. These races turn on you. If you (collectively) vote republican now, with Roe v Wade being overturned, I honestly don’t know what to say.
Black women will show up and vote. We always do. But white woman have to show up too. For the sake of my own mental health, I’m not watching the polls. I’ve written in the past about my own realization that the women that I thought were my allies, that I assumed wanted the same things in life that I wanted, were not my allies. I’ve written on here about my own pain as I realized that whiteness trumped all, and that being put on a pedestal by white men was more important, collectively, to white women, than fighting for equity that would benefit all women.
It’s the 11th hour now. Where we go from here, what the world will look like for our daughters and our daughters daughters depends on how white women vote. Will more women die from complications due to pregnancy? Will more teenagers and even preteens have their health destroyed when they have to carry their rapists babies to term? Will more women and children suffer for want of affordable health care? Will more children grow up without knowing there was such a thing as Jim Crow, redlining? Will American children stop learning about Japanese internment and the Trail of Tears? Will LGBTQ children get sent to conversion camps to be “reprogrammed?”
I hope all of the white women who are just as worried as I am will take the time to talk to their friends and neighbors, the ones who don’t bother to vote, or vote the way their husbands tell them to. The women on the fence won’t listen to people like me, but they very well could listen to you.
This is our most desperate hour. Help us, white women. You’re our only hope. I’ve placed information vital to the survival of the rebellion into the memory of this R2 unit. (Last part is not true. I just had a memory of reading a Carrie Fisher book where she talked about how difficult it was to deliver that clunky piece of dialogue, and I’m feeling kind of punchy after grading a bunch of papers).
All. Of. This.
Yeah, I don’t get how any woman can vote for anyone who is not pro choice. I am unapologetically PRO ABORTION – sorry but it should be the safest and most accessible procedure to get. Unfortunately I am a white woman who lives in PA and I have no faith in my state because I can personally attest to the fact that all my extended family will be voting for republicans . They always claim it’s a “tax issue” and nothing else for them…which is even worse (and inexcusable) since they all so-called “christians” and this excuse just shows that they value themselves over others (especially their own daughters). Sorry for my fellow Pennsylvanians who are not a$$holes and my appreciation to the Philadelphians who will be the ones to save us (yet again) if we are to saved from Oz.
White woman and life long democrat here. Voted yesterday and took my daughter for her first time to vote and we voted straight party ticket – Dems all of the way. We live in Texas, so it was great to cast our vote for Beto and others!
My MIL from Texas was visiting recently. She voted for Obama twice…and then Trump. We spent hours during her short visit trying to open her eyes. I am hoping that she heard us and will make the best choices in November. Things are just so dire.
I don’t understand what happened to a person who twice voted Obama and then voted Trump (especially when the alternative was Hillary!)! Who hurt you?!?!
I think the biggest thing was that she moved from IL to TX. She says she doesn’t pay attention to news/politics…but when pressed would respond with GOP talking points, so right-wing media has impacted her. Her husband is conservative and always has been, and it seems like he’s influenced her as well as her new neighbors.
Deep blue from our Philly home!
Hope we turf this guy back to Jersey
White woman in Arizona here. Voting blue all the way down.
White woman in Georgia who, along with my mother and son, just voted for Stacey Abrams…for the 2nd time. Please oh please let her win this time! We all 3 voted a straight Dem ticket again. We’re trying!
I’m late replying but in case you see this:
I’m not American, but my husband and his family are. In 2016 (when my husband was still in the US) I convinced him and my SIL to vote for Hilary, even though they couldn’t stand her (a lifetime of Fox News indoctrination) and my SIL wanted to vote third party. I convinced them an independent vote would essentially be a vote for Trump so even though my husband was a registered republican he voted for Hilary and so did my SIL.
My husband couldn’t vote democrat last election because due to covid there were issues getting his ballot in on time, but he tried. My SIL voted for Biden.
I was able to change their minds. I could never change my MIL’s mind, not in a million years, but thankfully she’s in a blue state. Other people can reach out and change minds too. The future of women depends on it. White women can’t be trusted not to vote against their own interests, apparently (not everyone of course, but a shocking number do).
I’ve been writing postcards to voters since the fall of Roe back in May. It helps me feel like I’m making a tiny difference. That and donating to red state abortion funds seems like the best way I can help at the moment. We have to vote like our lives depend on it, because they do.
I do that too, it does give me a sense of helping, however small.
I donate too and I’m Canadian, living on Vancouver Island. I can look across Juan de Fuca strait and see Washington State, and I feel so worried for women in America.
I’m trying not to panic because I’ve been around a lot of scary election cycles but I have to tell you I live in a very blue state in what I would call a blue area with some wealthy people who are “fiscally conservative” but not socially conservative and then the random older people who are Trumpy. There was a local meeting of our Dems on Sunday and there was a significant Women-led group chanting, screaming, beating a drum and holding signs about indoctrinating our children outside the meeting. My trans son walked near it and told me it was kind of scary. I then saw pictures and it was ALL women, many in their 30s and they all had signs about “my child my choice”, etc., etc. These are most likely educated people in an upper middle class town in New England! I’m so worried that the Moms for Liberty crazies have found a way to infiltrate moms groups on Facebook and turn everyone crazy. Let’s just say I’m not convinced my state won’t end up with at least a Republican in congress if not in the senate. For sure in the governor’s house. It’s terrifying.
The GOP will bus people in from all over so don’t assume anything based on that.
Oh no, these looked like area women. At least some of them.
Our 30 year incumbent Dem senator may lose. And the party seems shocked and just now mobilizing.
Hey, Oz, if you include political leaders, you’ve already taken women out of the conversation!!!
I remember when the Affordable Care Act was being debated, a big argument from the GOP was that it would “bring the government into your healthcare decisions!” They thought that was terrible then but now for some reason they are perfectly fine with it. God help us all and please vote!
Because they are consistently hypocritical (it’s infuriating), and also it’s about controlling women, not healthcare.
+1
I doubt that this truly stupid comment by Oz will get the attention it deserves because the media will be covering a few Fetterman stumbles caused by his auditory processing issues.
The media is treating Fetterman’s stroke residuals as the main issue facing Pa. voters. Oz only had to not fall over to be declared “the winner”.
This. I looked up news coverage of the debate this morning and saw headlines focusing on Fetterman’s stumbles and Dems’ concerns about his performance rather than the fact that Oz talked out of both sides of his mouth acting like he wants to reach across the aisle and then saying he would support Trump’s candidacy for president in 2024. These two things cannot co-exist. Any independent or moderate voter should see that as the giant red flag it is.
Oz may be smart and well-spoken but he follows the Republican party line and will not exercise his own discretion on any policy if elected. There is no middle ground anymore for Republicans. You can’t vote fiscally conservative without getting all the religiously and socially conservative and RACIST policies along with it.
I don’t believe the Republicans will pass a Federal law against abortion in 2022.I 100%
believe they will in 2024 if they have the House, the Senate and the Presidency. Why are people buying into this party? I have yet to hear one proposal from the Republicans on what they plan to do to alleviate this Inflation. Katie Porter brilliantly illustrated that alot of this is from corporate greed.
What a scary fucking time to be alive.
This man is not a doctor. He’s lost that privilege a long time ago. As a doctor, first and foremost duty is for your patient and doing what is best for them. and the fact that he says it’s a up for a third party to get involved in a doctor patient relationship means he’s violated his Hippocratic oath already. Take this man’s license away, he’s lost the title that so many work hard for and uphold. And I also I need someone to get him to shut the f*** up bc he’s a no good, snake oil selling, swindler and none of us needs to hear him talk. He’s embarrassing us all in the medical profession
This.
Cool. Next time Oz needs a prostate exam, let’s be sure in to invite his local tax collector and state assembly representative.
And when it’s time for Mrs. Oz’s yearly pap exam, the County Commissioners can gather around and observe.
Why not make the prostate exam a participatory event? Heck, I’ll supply the latex gloves! And maybe we can raise some money for Planned Parenthood by live-streaming from a strategically-placed camera?
This right here!!!
Oz is horrible, clearly. What else is apparent (and there are no words to describe how disappointing/scary/unfortunate this is) Fetterman is not in good shape. I know the media is trying to help spin like he’s fine-but if you watch any of the debate, he clearly is not. He sounded slow and confused and definitely still recovering from his stroke.
Who TF cares honestly? We know what he stands for so if you stand for the same things then vote for him. I would vote for a sentient potato as long as it could block a republican majority in the senate.
Nonsense.
Fetterman will get better.
Oz won’t.
I am a white, Pennsylvanian woman, who will be voting for Fetterman (just putting this out there).
I hate the response to Fetterman being “slow or not ok”, that smacks of ableism to me. He might never speak as quickly as he did before, he might always walk a bit slower, doesn’t mean that he can’t do this job.
Local? This clown ruined a decent reputation to spew garbage talking points/opinions and hawk questionable product. Dr. Oz is now just as credible as Dr. Dre. These Repubs love to act like the federal govt doesn’t exist – until a natural disaster hits their local area or they need some other tax funded govt handout. I miss the days when politicians and wannabes knew how our govt functions/ is supposed to function and compromise wasn’t a dirty word.
Jesus h what a moron. More than anything I wish we could make men understand that abortion is none of their fkng business. It doesn’t matter what anyone believes about when life begins or their religious beliefs, only the pregnant woman matters. Nothing else.
Word salad. All he had to say was, “by the woman.” Adding doctors and political leaders sucks big time. He needs to lose.
Let us remind all of our parents and grandparents that the GQP wants to destroy medicare and social security. They want to raise eligibility for SS to 75 and cap it at 90. They collectively want to pull the plug on the most vulnerable seniors. You turned 90? Fuck it!! Tough shit!! No food or housing for you! Go find someplace to die! I told my 85yo mother and she was shocked. I told her to be sure to share that with her friends and VOTE.
They are unfuckingbelievable.
VOTE THEM OUT.
Old people vote .I would like to see the Villages here in Florida if they try and pull that crap
When I saw that they wanted to cut off social security to the most elderly???? WTH, who thought that was a good idea? I honestly don’t understand their reasoning, other than “old people should just die”.
This man should have had his medical license revoked, his television show was dangerous to many who followed his advice. I have zero respect for him, my Doctor at the time absolutely hated him. I truly pray he doesn’t win for every one’s sake.
He’d never suggest a MAN have his medical decisions cleared by politicians. It’s such bs.
Also, as a doctor, he always looks half-dead, seriously. Physician, heal thyself. Start with your screwed-up head.
I’m Canadian, and my heart breaks seeing what is going on down in the States when it comes to accessing abortion. I hope that pro-choice voters turn out in droves to ensure that Republicans don’t win a majority and set abortion rights back even further than they are now.
Once upon a time Oz said he was Pro Choice :He saw too many women as a resident suffering from as he himself called coat hanger abortions.I don’t know what has happened to him
Greed and old age, I’d say.
Oz should lose his medical license for espousing such dangerous views. Women are dying in Texas from lack of access to safe and effective medical treatments!
One of my best friends nearly died from a burst ectopic pregnancy because there’s no clear consensus of what constitutes “risk of life to the woman.” And doctors are infamous for wanting to avoid ANY kind of lawsuit, which is how that odious anti-choice law works. F—- Republicans & vote BLUE!!!
it’s not lawsuits doctors are trying to avoid. it’s literal jail time AND lost of license and livelihood. The fact is the onus has made it all about prosecuting people who are trying to do their jobs for patients with very grey areas that leave room open for jail. How can anyone navigate this successfully?
Yeah I read about the debate in the news this morning and when I read that line I thought:
… one of these things is not like the others… 🤨
And to me local politicians are regular people who had time, inclination, or money to run for a position. Even the ones I think do a good job at supporting their community I wouldn’t trust with any major decisions like this!
Women, doctors and politicians. Hm. One of those is not like the others
I know Fetterman has his issues. No denying that. BUT, I was horrified to see how he’s been treated after his stroke. People are so disgusting about his disability and, as a disabled person myself, it was enraging to see. My ex, who is conservative, also made similar comments about his lack of clarity in speech and I am so glad I dodged that bullet. Fetterman >>> Oz any day.
I agree. Unfortunately Republicans have no sympathy for the disabled. Considering that most of them want a supreme white race, it’s not surprising.
Yes. That’s what we need – local politicians with no medical background much less skin in the game (male or if a woman she’s an Incel or too old to have kids) deciding whether women live or die. What a shangri-la! I just want to know what was wrong with the way things were? Now we have women – real living human beings – dying or nearly dying because a small fringe group thinks a fetus with no chance of survival should be “given a chance” because of “God’s will”. If that is the way it should be then why aren’t we applying that logic to ALL medical decisions (cancer, diabetes, heart failure, impotence, you name it)? Why the distinction? Oh yeah. Because those things impact men so we can’t limit them in any way. That would be ridiculous. As for women using abortion for birth control, why isn’t anyone stepping up on the issues that cause a woman to make that choice? Why aren’t Republicans demanding stronger rape laws, national healthcare and solutions to the lack of child and elder care? You know why? Because they don’t care and their goal anyway is to force women to stay home like it’s 1950. Nothing against SAHMs as long as you chose that career. It certainly shouldn’t be forced or expected of women.
Not only do republicans believe that politicians should be making medical decisions, but the bigger picture is even scary — take a step back and stop focusing on the fact that this is “medical” issue specifically, and what they are saying is that a person’s rights should be determined, AND MAY BE TAKEN AWAY, by popular vote. Rights for racial minorities? Not if the majority vote says “no.”
This election, like all of them in recent years, is twisting my stomach and giving me a massive case of anxiety. I want to thank all of you who have volunteered, donated, and voted early where possible like me. I have a family that is split in terms of political alliance and what I’m mostly hearing from the other side is that they’re upset about the economy and far less concerned about human rights. Because the world economy is connected, the Republicans cannot do much if in power to stop inflation, but they can make the US a scary and unsafe place.
And say goodbye to prescriptions that cause birth defects should you become pregnant while taking them (i.e. my life saving preventative migraine medication). Would a woman be able to get it under this doctrine? I don’t know and that is fucking terrifying.