约翰·费特曼并不是每个人都认为的进步政治家

约翰·费特曼并不是每个人都认为的进步政治家
John Fetterman Is Not The Progressive Politician Everyone Thought He Was

原始链接: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/john-fetterman-not-progressive-politician-everyone-thought-he-was

约翰·费特曼 (John Fetterman) 最初被誉为宾夕法尼亚州进步派民主党政客，原因是进步派人士的财政支持，并通过出人意料地投票反对自己的政党来挑战政党教条，但他在一些关键问题上表现出了意想不到的立场，例如投票反对增加国债、反对加入工会的教师领取危险津贴，反对某些情况下的堕胎权，并支持刑事司法改革。尽管费特曼看起来是极左派，但他坚称自己并未改变之前的立场，并认为围绕其政治信仰的看法可能会导致对其行为的误解，特别是在他对以色列政府的立场以及解决移民问题方面。凭借担任宾夕法尼亚州布拉多克市前市长的经验，费特曼市长在其任期内赢得了知名人物和事件的关注。然而，人们对他的立场仍然存在分歧，尽管他通过对某些话题的复杂推理来捍卫自己的行为，并认识到移民等话题的微妙性质。最终，费特曼先生呈现出一个矛盾且有些复杂的形象，同时与自由派和保守派政策保持一致。贝丝·布雷耶 (Beth Brelje) 为《大纪元时报》撰稿，重点介绍了几个关键时刻，展示了费特曼参议员性格中的不同观点。这包括在宾夕法尼亚州法律明确禁止同性行为时举行同性婚礼、在布拉多克发生潜在犯罪事件时与一名枪手嫌疑人对峙，以及在文化外交会议和 TED 演讲等各种活动中发表演讲，以解决影响其所在地区的社会问题。 Ms。 Brelje provides insightful analysis alongside quotes from reputable political experts, further enhancing the comprehensibility of this news article。 Yet, it remains uncertain how these seemingly disparate viewpoints will coalesce or manifest themselves within the broader context of American politics, given that Senator Fetterman's political trajectory can make him appear paradoxical and even inconsistent at times, depending on the particular subject in question。 In conclusion, John Fetterman continues to present a multifaceted profile, demonstrating elements of progressiveness and traditionalism simultaneously, and remaining relatively enigmatic despite scrutiny。 These attributes challenge simplistic narratives of American politicians, offering a glimpse into the complex world of modern governance。尽管费特曼参议员的全部范围

原文

Authored by Beth Brelje via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Financial backing from progressive Democrats helped John Fetterman flip a long-held Republican U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania in 2022.

During his first two years as a senator, Mr. Fetterman has often surprised progressives and conservatives alike with his outspoken positions that have challenged party dogma.

Mr. Fetterman has voted against his party five times. He was the only Democrat to vote no on the confirmation of Monica Bertagnolli to direct the National Institutes of Health.

He was one of four Democrats who voted no to increase the debt ceiling.

And he agreed with Republicans on a resolution to disapprove of a rule written by the Department of Commerce relating to President Joe Biden’s June 2022 emergency and authorization for temporary extensions of time and duty-free importation of solar cells and modules from southeast Asia.

The guy on the Senate floor in the Carhartt hoodie is still very much a Democrat: pro-abortion, pro-recreational marijuana, pro-criminal justice reform, and a strong supporter of unions.

At the U.S. Capitol, Mr. Fetterman told The Epoch Times that he has not changed positions, but things are happening that highlight them—most notably, his support for Israel and acknowledging the problem of illegal crossings at the southern border.

“Sometimes people may have the wrong impressions, whether from the commercials and all that stuff,“ Mr. Fetterman said. ”I’ve always really had those kinds of positions, so it’s not like a shock. So, nothing’s changed, perhaps maybe the perception.”

He also said he’s never been a progressive. He described himself as a regular Democrat who has made the case that Democrats come with a variety of views.

G. Terry Madonna, senior fellow in residence for political affairs at Millersville University, has watched Mr. Fetterman’s political career from the beginning and said it is not uncommon for politicians to change their views.

“He’s not a typical liberal Democrat, which most of us thought he was during the course of his campaign, and the fact of the matter is, he’s evolving,” Mr. Madonna told The Epoch Times.

But he’s not turning into a conservative. “I’ve not seen any evidence, except for those two issues, that he’s moved away from the liberal mantra, but there have been growing questions about him because of these two big issues that he’s come out with [views] very different from liberal Democrats,” Mr. Madonna said.

Mayor of Braddock

Mr. Fetterman has often been undaunted by public opinion and sometimes the rules.

He was the first Pennsylvania mayor to perform a same sex marriage in 2013, despite that a state law prohibited it.

One January night in 2013, Mr. Fetterman, then the mayor of Braddock, thought he heard gunshots. He ran outside, got in his truck, and chased, confronted, and detained a black man with a shotgun that he had in his truck. The man had no weapon. He was out jogging.

“I believe I did the right thing, but I may have broken the law in the course of it, and I’m certainly not above the law,” Mr. Fetterman told a WTAE TV reporter at the time. Nothing came of the incident legally, but it does come up at election time.

Earning $150 a month, Mr. Fetterman worked as the part-time mayor for the impoverished borough from 2006 to 2019. It was his only job for those 13 years. Once a thriving steel town with 20,000 people, Braddock had dwindled to 2,300 by the time Mr. Fetterman became mayor. In 2021, only 1,700 residents remained, including Mr. Fetterman, his wife, Gisele, and their three children.

Then, like now, Mr. Fetterman’s style and blunt comments attracted media coverage and opportunities.

The small-town mayor was invited to speak in Colorado at the Aspen Institute Cultural Diplomacy Forum in 2009. He also spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival in 2010, had a feature written about him in The New York Times, and gave a Ted Talk in 2013 about how he was revitalizing Braddock with community gardens, teaching youth work skills, creating housing for kids aging out of foster care, and building playgrounds on abandoned lots.

On the Issues

Many issues in Washington are boiled down to black-and-white positions, but immigration is a gray area for Mr. Fetterman, he said, as he acknowledges the complexity of the issue.

During his failed 2015 campaign for Senate, he ran an advertisement highlighting his wife, who is from Brazil. She entered the United States illegally at age 9 with her mother.

“I was asked: ‘Your wife’s family broke the law. What do you think of that?’ And I said: ‘Well, I’m so grateful that they did. Because if they didn’t have the courage to take that step, I wouldn’t have the three beautiful children that I have today,’” Mr. Fetterman said in the advertisement. “We as a society take a step backwards if we do anything but embrace the people that are here, and create effective laws and pass the citizenship for people coming into our country.”