What They’re Saying: “Democrats Targeting McCormick, Oz” & “Aren’t Waiting To Try To Stain Both Possible Winners”

New York Times: “Democrats aren’t waiting to try to stain both possible winners”

News coverage is highlighting how “Democrats aren’t waiting for a race call to attack Oz and McCormick”  – as the “DSCC released separate ads attacking each Republican candidate” and Pennsylvania Democrats held events to “rally against Oz and McCormick,” spotlighting how there is “a sharp divide among the GOP.”

See for yourself:

New York Times: In Pennsylvania, Democrats aren’t waiting for a race call to attack Oz and McCormick

• The recount of Pennsylvania’s photo-finish Republican Senate primary will not be revealed until June 8, but Democrats aren’t waiting to try to stain both possible winners, Dr. Mehmet Oz and David McCormick.

• The Democrats’ Senate campaign arm released prototypes of attack ads against both candidates on Thursday, leaning into the theme that Dr. Oz, the celebrity physician, and Mr. McCormick, a former hedge fund executive, are out-of-state carpetbaggers.

• The 30-second spots portray Dr. Oz, who held a tiny lead going into the recount and has declared himself the “presumptive” nominee, as “pretending to be from Pennsylvania.”

• Mr. McCormick, a former hedge fund executive, is attacked for having “moved from Connecticut to buy a Senate seat.”

• The committee has reserved an initial $3 million for ads in Pennsylvania’s Senate race, where the retirement of Senator Pat Toomey, a Republican, has created an open seat.

• The attacks — including that Dr. Oz is a Hollywood type who promoted dubious medical claims on television, and that Mr. McCormick is a friend of China’s who outsourced jobs at a Pittsburgh company — are likely already familiar to many Pennsylvania voters, who were barraged with the same material in the primary.

• Both of the super-wealthy candidates and their allies spent tens of millions of dollars in attack ads ahead of the May 17 primary.

Philadelphia Inquirer: Pennsylvania Democrats rally against Oz and McCormick

• Bob Brady… said at a press conference that was part of a series of party events to attack the GOP Senate candidates: “The people of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania are not going to be fooled by two carpetbaggers.” State Sen. Nikil Saval called David McCormick “a poster child for the 1%” and Mehmet Oz a fraudster.

• On a press call earlier in the morning, Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) argued that Fetterman’s dominant primary win, compared with Republicans’ photo finish and recount, shows a united Democratic party, and a sharp divide among the GOP.

• He noted that Fetterman won every county in the state, many with more than 70% of the vote, despite strong competition.

• “The Democratic Party is unified behind a candidate who can win,” Casey told reporters in a Zoom call. “I’m not sure I’ve seen a candidate in recent history who is better prepared to serve the people of our state as a United States senator from Pennsylvania.”

• Meanwhile, he said the primary had exposed Oz and McCormick as “extreme” followers of former President Donald Trump.

• “It was about genuflecting to the former president and to MAGA Republicans,” Casey said.

• Democratic state chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills also pointed to Oz and McCormick’s recent residencies in New Jersey and Connecticut, respectively, foreshadowing a line of attack awaiting whichever Republican becomes the nominee.

The Hill: Senate Democrats targeting McCormick, Oz ahead of recount

• As the Pennsylvania Senate Republican primary heads to a recount, Democrats are going after both of the possible GOP candidates.

• The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) released two ads on Thursday attacking Republican candidates Mehmet Oz and Dave McCormick.

• The DSCC released separate ads attacking each Republican candidate, aiming to cast Oz as a “Hollywood scam artist” and McCormick as a “Wall Street insider.”

• “While Republicans remain locked in their never-ending, intra-party fight, Democrats are wasting no time in ensuring voters know that neither scam artist Mehmet Oz nor Wall Street insider David McCormick can be trusted to represent Pennsylvania in the Senate,” said DSCC spokesperson Patrick Burgwinkle.

• “Both Oz and McCormick were already limping out of election night — and the weeks ahead will ensure whichever GOP candidate ultimately emerges will be entering the general election even more badly damaged,” he added.

• The ad attacking Oz, titled “Showtime,” highlights his career as a celebrity physician, where he is best known as the host of “The Dr. Oz Show.” The ad criticizes Oz’s endorsement of weight loss cures questioned by many scientists.

• “Doctors have called him a fake who endangers patients, willing to peddle anything to make it in Hollywood,” the ad says as footage rolls of Oz kissing his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “And now, in politics, too,” the ad continues.

• The ad also says Oz is “pretending” to be from Pennsylvania and is “pushing [former President] Trump’s election lies.” Oz received Trump’s endorsement early in his campaign, and the former president held a rally to support Oz’s bid in the weeks leading up to the primary.

• The ad attacking McCormick lambasts him for his time as a hedge fund manager and for previously living in Connecticut, saying he moved to Pennsylvania to “buy a Senate seat.”

• “He got rich cozying up to China and outsourcing jobs,” says the ad, titled “Has Its Price.” 

• “He took taxpayer money and promised to create them here but fired Pittsburgh workers instead,” the ad says.

POLITICO: Mister Rogers no more: Bob Casey is feeling good about John Fetterman’s return to the campaign trail — and savaging the national GOP.

• Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said he’s confident Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democratic Senate nominee, will… flip the seat this fall — and he hammered the Republican Party for lacking an agenda for what they would do if they regain control of government.

• Not quite known to breathe rhetorical fire, Casey was spitting flames this morning during a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee call:

• “Republicans have no answers. There’s no economic agenda. Where’s their jobs plan for the last 10 years? Where the hell is their health care plan? They don’t have one. They’re bankrupt as a party. And, in addition to that, they accommodate and embrace these loopy theories and racist theories about how we should live our lives starting with Q-Anon.”

• Casey noted that Fetterman won every county in his convincing primary victory for the Democratic Senate nomination. “I’m not sure I’ve seen a candidate in recent history who is better prepared to serve the people of our state, as the United States senator from Pennsylvania,” he said.

• The race for the Republican nomination remains locked in a recount… But the DSCC isn’t waiting — releasing separate ads hitting Oz and McCormick on Thursday.

Axios: Pa. Dems launch two campaigns as GOP recount drags

• Senate Democrats’ campaign arm isn’t waiting for a recount in the Republican primary between Dave McCormick and Mehmet Oz. It’s launching a general election campaign now — against both — officials tell Axios.

• The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee wants to be talking about the GOP rivals — portraying both as wealthy carpetbaggers out of touch with Pennsylvania workers.

• Details: Dems will label McCormick and Oz as “damaged goods” — highlighting their positions on Social Security and Medicare, and the GOP tax plan, and claiming both candidates have enriched themselves through connections to China.

• The DSCC is releasing two videos attacking the candidates. One calls McCormick a “Wall Street insider” who cozied up to China and moved from Connecticut to secure a Senate seat.

• The other attacks Oz for “pretending to be from Pennsylvania and pushing Trump’s election lies.”

• The Pennsylvania Democratic Party will host a Thursday press call with Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.) making the case against McCormick and Oz.

• Dems also are holding in-person media events around the state, beginning with Philadelphia on Thursday and Harrisburg on Friday.

• What they’re saying: DSCC spokesman Patrick Burgwinkle told Axios that “Democrats are wasting no time” defining Oz as a “scam artist” and McCormick as a “Wall Street insider.” He said Democrats want to ensure that the eventual GOP nominee “will be entering the general election even more badly damaged.”

Julia Terruso, Philadelphia Inquirer (@JuliaTerruso):

Justin Sweitzer, City & State PA (@Justin_Sweitzer):

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