Oz Argues Abortion Should Be Up To A Woman, Her Doctor … And Local Political Leaders

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.

Ladies, Isn’t There Someone You Forgot To Ask?

As a man of science and medicine, Senate nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz (R-PA) wants the federal government to butt out of the issue of abortion. No, that needs to be left to the local government, Oz argued during his first debate with Democratic rival John Fetterman last night.

• Oz’s proposal: “I want women, doctors, local political leaders letting the democracy that’s always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves.”
• Here are other takeaways from the debate by the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, CNN, and NBC News.

Night Of Showdowns

The Fetterman and Oz debate wasn’t the only face-off in a key midterms race last night: New York, Michigan, and Colorado held debates for their gubernatorial and Senate elections as well.

• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) vs. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY): Takeaways by the New York Times, New York 1, and CNN
• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) vs. conservative commentator Tudor Dixon: Takeaways by the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, and CNN
• Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) vs. Republican businessman Joe O’Dea: Takeaways by Colorado Public Radio, Colorado Newsline, and the Daily Sentinel.

Hope Hicks Meets With Jan. 6 Panel

The House Jan. 6 Committee held a transcribed interview with ex-White House communications director and top Trump adviser Hope Hicks yesterday, according to multiple reports.

• Hicks had previously had an “informal interview” with the panel, according to CNN.
• Hicks had tried to convince Trump to accept his 2020 election defeat, prompting the ex-president to complain during meetings, “Well, Hope doesn’t believe in me,” according to a book by reporters Peter Baker and Susan Glasser. Hicks reportedly responded, “No, I don’t. Nobody’s convinced me otherwise.”

Trump Demands Masters Goes Harder On Big Lie

A new clip of a Fox News documentary shows Arizona GOP Senate nominee Blake Masters taking a call from the ex-president, who warns him against going “soft” on Trump’s lies about the 2020 election, or else “you’ll lose.”

• The call apparently took place after Masters’ debate with incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) earlier this month, when the Republican nominee reversed course on his election denialism (like other election deniers trying to appeal to regular voters) and said that he hadn’t “seen evidence” of the 2020 election being rigged against Trump.

Progressive Dems Walk Back Letter To Biden On Ukraine Strategy

The Congressional Progressive Caucus on Tuesday withdrew its letter to Biden that urged the President to pursue direct negotiations with Russia to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.

• Caucus chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said the letter had been drafted several months ago and was released by staff “without vetting.”
• The reversal was spurred by the caucus’ worry that its proposal was being “conflated” with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) warning about the GOP potentially cutting Ukraine aid, Jayapal said.

Must Read

“Florida GOP Paid Thousands To Far-Right Charlottesville Attendee” – The Huffington Post (co-bylined with TPM alum Matt Shuham!)

Adidas Finally Cuts Ties With Ye

Kanye (aka “Ye”) West’s anti-Semitic meltdown is starting to cost him, big time: Adidas, which manufactures and distributes the sneakers in West’s fashion line, announced on Tuesday that it was pulling the plug on its billion-dollar partnership with the rapper, whose “recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous.”

• The sportswear giant’s announcement came several days after West bragged during a podcast that “I can literally say anti-Semitic shit, and they can’t drop me.” But don’t give Adidas too much credit: The company had been dragging its feet for weeks during the rapper’s tirades against the Jewish community before finally taking action yesterday.
• The pressure for Adidas to drop West, who declared earlier this month that he would go ​​“death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE,” was amplified by the German corporation’s past ties to Nazism: Adi Dassler, the founder of Adidas, was a member of the Nazi Party (although he reportedly wasn’t a party loyalist, which was why he was allowed to keep running his business after World War II).

GOP Senator Glares At Gas Pump

Like Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), I too express my outrage at gas prices by sharing pictures of myself angrily gripping a pump without a car in sight:

BRAAAAAAAIIINS

“Craving brains and hangry: Zombie behavior demystified by scientists” – The Washington Post

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