When John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz, candidates for Pennsylvania's open Senate seat, met last night in Philadelphia for their one and only debate, it was perhaps inevitable that the subject of fracking would come up. Fetterman, the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, and Oz, a longtime daytime talk show host known for dispensing dubious medical advice, have each given conflicting statements on the gas extraction process in the past. Oz once wrote that fracking should be banned until further health studies were conducted, while Fetterman previously said in an interview that "I don't support fracking, at all and I never have." On the campaign trail, each candidate has since endorsed the practice.
Noting that the Keystone State is second only to Texas in natural gas production, the debate moderators presented the candidates with their respective shifting positions.
Oz barreled ahead, saying he was "consistent" in fully supporting the practice. He didn't explain his flip-flop, but he did affirm his current position that fracking is "a lifeline for this commonwealth."
