President Joe Biden rallied with former President Barack Obama and top Pennsylvania Democratic candidates in North Philadelphia, where he criticized “super MAGA Republicans” and touted his bipartisan infrastructure law.
“Please elect John Fettman in the Senate. He will protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. And will keep veterans cared for at all times. Always, always, always,” Biden said in Liaku on the Temple University campus Russ Center said to the crowd.
“When I ran for president, my goal was to build a bottom-up and center economy. It’s a fundamental shift from the trickle-down economics of Oz and the big MAGA Republicans,” Biden said of Feltman’s Republican opponent, Dr. Muhammad Oz.
As the crowd booed, the president continued: “No, it’s not your father’s Republican Party. It’s a different kind of cat. I mean it. Look, they’re all about the rich getting richer. And richer People stay rich. The middle class becomes rigid. The poor get poorer under their policies.”
Obama takes office: The former president offered a pre-emptive rebuttal to the possibility of Democratic defeat.
“I can tell you from experience that the midterm elections matter,” Obama said, referring to the 2010 election, when Republicans regained power in the House of Representatives during his first administration.
Obama’s speech was filled with praise for Feltman and Shapiro and contempt for their opponents.
“Josh’s opponent, Wang. Oops,” Obama said. “He’s willing to take the most extreme positions on almost everything.”
The former president slammed Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano’s stance on abortion and recalled wearing a Confederate war uniform in a 2013-14 Army War College faculty photo.
“Pennsylvania, let’s remember what century it is,” Obama said. “It’s going to be fun, if not so serious, it’s going to be an SNL skit. You can’t let people who are out of touch run your country.”
Obama couldn’t hide his displeasure with Oz.
“Who do you really think knows better about budgets and having to pay the bills, John Fetterman or Dr. Oz? Come on,” Obama said.
Pennsylvania’s Democratic candidate made his case: Senate Democratic nominee Feltman and gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro both addressed Obama at Saturday night’s event.
Feltman, who suffered a stroke in May, joked that he would be on stage before the former president.
“Let me tell you, anyone who’s recovering from a stroke, really, the worst person you’ve ever had to go to, the arrival of Barack Obama has to be the worst,” Feltman said with a laugh.