After many weeks of Lt. Governor. John Fetterman (D-Penn. With a strong lead in the race for Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-Penn.), seat, Fetterman (D-Penn. The race for Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-Penn.) the seat is now a dead heat. Recent polls show that Dr. Mehmet Oz is leading Fetterman, but only by a few points and within the margin of error.
Politicians tend to dismiss polls that aren’t favorable. But Fetterman’s campaign seems to be in serious trouble. They have now reversed his statements from last year, in which he called for the mass release from Pennsylvania of second-degree criminals.
Fetterman is the head of the state’s Board of Pardons commission. He issued two reports last year that suggested merit-based clemency in second-degree murders in state prisons. Also, reforming state law that requires life sentences for second-degree murder convictions without parole.
Fetterman described the reports as a call to “mercy for those deserving and rehabilitated.”
He spoke at a Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity press conference in March 2021. He expressed hope that up to 1,200 convicted murderers would be freed.
He said, “I hope it could lead to a conversation that would free nearly 1,200 people from a legacy that never made any sense. That encompasses victims input, encompasses the conduct of prisoners in prison, and it takes a look to the resources that have been wasted.”
He has held this position for a long time but is trying to change it. His campaign insists that Fetterman believes there are murderers who should be kept in prison.
Joe Calvello, Fetterman campaign spokesperson, stated that John supports common-sense criminal justice reforms that keep Pennsylvanians secure and protected while saving taxpayers’ money. “He believes that there are people who should spend the rest of their life in prison for the crime they have committed. However, judges and parole boards should make the final decision. This is not a matter for politicians in Harrisburg.
Although it’s a charming story, it seems more like Fetterman realizes that his soft-on-crime policies are a liability. Now that the race is a dead heat, the flip-flops have begun to roll in.
