Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz teamed up with U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey on Tuesday to publicly call on his Democratic rival, John Fetterman, to participate in a debate in their high-profile Pennsylvania race. Oz and Toomey, holding a news conference in Philadelphia, also questioned Fetterman’s fitness for office and criticized his reluctance to speak with reporters since suffering a stroke in May. Fetterman has been sidelined for most of the summer while recovering, though he did appear Monday with President Joe Biden at a Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh and has spoken briefly at a number of events. “What happens if a U.S. senator in an important state like Pennsylvania is elected, never having answered a legitimate question from a voter, from a newscaster … in a debate stage?” Oz said. “What would that mean for future campaigns around the country?” Fetterman’s campaign countered Tuesday that Oz’s insistence on a debate is “about mocking John for having a stroke” and maintained that Fetterman’s doctor says he should be able to campaign and serve in the Senate without a problem. “Anyone who’s seen John speak knows that while he’s still recovering, he’s more capable of fighting for PA than Dr. Oz will ever be,” Fetterman’s campaign said in a statement. The news conference with Toomey — the retiring senator both candidates are vying to replace — signals Oz’s increasing aggressiveness in taking on Fetterman as the celebrity heart surgeon seeks to make up ground in polls with just nine weeks to go until Election Day. Democrats see the race as one of their best chances nationally to flip a Republican-held seat, and the winner could help decide the chamber’s partisan control next year. Fetterman has only given three media interviews since suffering the stroke and has held no news conferences. He has acknowledged that he has diminished auditory processing speed — he cannot always respond quickly to what he’s hearing — and conducted all three interviews by video, with real-time closed captions. Fetterman, in brief public speaking events, also has struggled to speak fluidly. Oz, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has accused Fetterman of lying about the seriousness of the effects of the stroke. Fetterman’s campaign says he is not lying and is willing to debate, but they want a debate that can accommodate the lingering effects of his stroke. A campaign spokesperson declined to elaborate on what that might require. Roughly a dozen news organizations and other groups have reached out to the campaigns about hosting a debate, Fetterman’s campaign has said. Oz has touted his willingness to join five. The first one, proposed by Pittsburgh TV station KDKA, would have taken place Tuesday night. Fetterman’s campaign told the station that Tuesday night didn’t work. The station’s news director, Shawn Hoder, said KDKA is still willing to host a televised debate at a later date and is awaiting word from Fetterman’s campaign on when that might be. The station would need about two weeks’ notice to make a debate happen, Hoder said. Besides any health concerns, political strategists suggest Fetterman could also be wanting to avoid a debate — or push it as late as possible in the campaign — because he is ahead in polls. Leading candidates often believe they have less incentive to […]

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