John Fetterman and George Santos: The team-up no one saw coming but the one we all needed
Christopher Tremoglie
Former Rep. George Santos was unceremoniously expelled from Congress last week for crimes he allegedly committed and essentially being a pathological liar. Objectively, anyone familiar with Santos’s falsehoods probably wouldn’t object to his expulsion except for two possible reasons: inconsistencies and double standards. Santos might have committed crimes, and he repeatedly lied to seemingly everyone. However, Santos was not the only member of Congress to do so — including several who remain in office and escaped any punishment thus far.
Cue Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA).
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The junior senator from Pennsylvania came up with the rather brilliant (and comical) idea to troll fellow Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) about his legal woes and refusal to resign by paying for a Cameo message by none other than the recently expelled Santos. For the uninitiated, Cameo is a website that connects everyday, ordinary people with athletes, actors, actresses, singers, and others in the entertainment industry. Users can then pay these celebrities to record personalized video messages to send to friends, family members, and senators under indictment.
“I thought my ethically-challenged colleague @BobMenendezNJ could use some encouragement given his substantial legal problems,” Fetterman posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “So, I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give ‘Bobby from Jersey’ some advice.”
“Hey, Bobby! Uh, look, I don’t think I need to tell you, but these people that want to make you get in trouble and want to kick you out and make you run away, you make them put up or shut up,” Santos said in the Cameo. “You stand your ground, sir. And don’t get bogged down by all the haters out there. Stay strong. Merry Christmas!”
John Fetterman and George Santos: the team-up no one saw coming but the one we all deserved and needed.
Fetterman should be applauded for this political stunt (and Santos, too, if we are honest). Pennsylvania’s senator is one of the few Democrats with any integrity on the Menendez issue. He acknowledged Menendez’s indictment and repeatedly called for him to resign and be removed from the Senate. Democrats have mostly ignored this, of course, because, as they have repeatedly demonstrated, they only care about law, standards, and justice when they can weaponize it to take down political opponents.
Many other Democrats could have done something to punish Menendez but chose not to. At least Fetterman had a backbone and used humor to bring awareness to Menendez’s crimes and, ultimately, double standards. The Democrats’ silence has, so far, been compliance. They have turned a blind eye to the corruption in their own party — all except Fetterman.
When it comes to highlighting congressional corruption, name a better duo than Fetterman and Santos. I’ll wait.