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*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.
TALK OF THE MORNING
You’d think it was a presidential debate by all the attention:
Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz met last night for Pennsylvania’s only Senate debate.
The talk of the night: It was an opportunity for voters to see Fetterman’s performance and fitness for office five months after a stroke.
The Atlantic’s John Hendrickson described it well: “Fetterman used to talk one way, he had a stroke, and now he talks another way. In certain post-stroke interviews, with the help of captions and in the absence of a ticking clock, he has given strong answers to reporters and battled speculation about his overall unfitness to serve. Tonight, as debate moderators reminded each candidate of strict time parameters … Fetterman prioritized speed over lucidity, and his disjointed sentences made his struggles unmistakable.” The full analysis — ‘The Fetterman-Oz Debate Was a Rorschach Test’
Keep in mind: Fetterman used a closed captioning system to help understand the questions throughout the debate.
FIVE TAKEAWAYS:
1. “Fetterman’s challenges with stroke on full display.”
2. “Oz has a good night.”
3. “Oz makes his pitch to suburbia.”
4. “Debate has its testy moments.”
5. “Could it be a game-changer?”
Explainers for each, from The Hill’s Julia Manchester
FETTERMAN RAISED A CASUAL $1 MILLION LAST NIGHT:
The Fetterman campaign raised more than $1 million in the three hours following the debate, according to the campaign.
Keep in mind: The Hill has reached out to Oz’s campaign for its latest fundraising numbers. So, TBD.
‘FOR FETTERMAN, CONTENTIOUS EXCHANGES, VERBAL STRUGGLES IN DEBATE WITH OZ’:
From The ’s Colby Itkowitz and Amanda Morris
It’s Wednesday. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.
???? News this morning
Meadows is ordered to testify:
A judge ruled that former President Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows must testify in the investigation of possible interference by Trump and his allies in the 2020 Georgia election.
From the judge, according to CNN: “I am going to find that the witness is material and necessary to the investigation and that the state of Georgia is assuring not to cause undue hardship to him.”
What now?: Meadows’s lawyer said he will appeal the decision. More from The New York Times
???? T-minus 13 days
Btw, conservative groups are pouring in wayyyy more money:
In total: “In general election races, conservative super PACs and ‘dark money’ groups, which can raise and spend unlimited sums from ultra-wealthy donors, have spent $624 million to back Republicans and attack Democrats, compared to $496 million in spending from liberals, according to data from nonpartisan research group OpenSecrets.
