Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

The caboose of the Senate strikes again: Brown can’t make up his mind

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Scott Brown has a unique opportunity now – right now, like, today – to be a leader. He’s one of a small group of Republicans in the Senate that on occasion does not vote party line against the president. Therefore, if he played his cards right, he’d have outsized influence on where the debt ceiling negotiations go.

But, sadly, the caboose of the Senate instead stays true to form and brings up the rear.

Senator Scott Brown, a Massachusetts Republican, has remained noncommittal on whether he supports either Reid’s or Boehner’s plan.

“Senator Brown is reviewing both of the proposals that were released earlier today,” spokesman Colin Reed said in a statement. “He remains hopeful he will be able to vote for a reasonable package that cuts spending and prevents our nation from defaulting on its obligations.”

This is so painfully embarrassing that I can’t even come up with a sarcastic comment on it that does it justice.  Res ipsa loquitur, as the lawyers say.  (The phrase literally means “the thing speaks for itself.)

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  1. in response to the President’s suggestion, urging him to publicly
    endorse the Reid plan and discourage his colleagues from delaying it.
    I’m not holding my breath for a reply or for compliance.

    • Um, Edgar? This is a Massachusetts political blog. We write about political races in Massachusetts. The biggest political race in this state from now until 2012, by a long shot, is the Senate race. So … it’s a bit hard to fathom why you seem surprised that we’d write a lot about Scott Brown. Plus, as Bob aptly points out, Brown supplies an awful lot of material that’s too good to pass up.

    • The supporters of Brown admit they have no response to the substantive point being raised here and instead simply accuse us of having an “obsession.”

      Typical.

  4. He doesn’t sing unless you put some money in.

    Take his Friday vote on the House Republicans’ “cut, cap and balance” bill, which would lock in cuts for the next ten years at least as severe as those in the Ryan budget (around which the Senator beat around the bush so memorably in April).

    From his Friday press statement, a masterpiece of vacuity, you could not be entirely sure which way he voted:

    Today we took a symbolic vote on a balanced budget amendment. A balanced budget requirement is something we have in Massachusetts, and I think it would be good for the entire country at a time when we are $14.3 trillion dollars in debt and it is rising every day. Now both parties need to come together on a plan that will allow us to avoid default, make substantial cuts in spending, which is reasonable and bipartisan and will have a chance of being signed into law. Let’s stop the negative politics and partisan bickering and get down to work. Time is running short.

    But today, he’s touting his Friday vote in favor of “cut, cap and balance.” Turns out he thinks it’s a great way to start a fundraising letter.

    For only $20.12, you, too, can find out more about what’s on his mind.

    • On Friday, Senator Brown voted for the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act which would have raised the debt ceiling in exchange for a balanced budget amendment and other spending reforms.

      While partisan Democrats continue to launch their negative attacks, Scott Brown remains focused on reducing our debt and creating jobs. The horrible jobs report for June in which the unemployment rate ticked up to 9.2% demonstrates how much work we have to do to get our economy working again. I’m asking for a simple donation of $20.12 to help Scott Brown in his reelection fight in 2012.

      This is not the time for negative politics. People want action. The Brown jobs agenda contains a half-dozen initiatives that empower businesses, reduce regulation and lower taxes.

      The opposition to Scott Brown is entirely focused on the same old negative attacks that backfired in last year’s Special Election. You’d think the opposition would have learned its lesson.

      Instead, the attacks have gotten more shrill.

      Liberal special interests and Democrat-allied groups have spent $2 million in negative ads aimed at Scott Brown over the past year. Please help us fight back with a donation of $20.12 to reelect Senator Brown in 2012 by clicking here: …

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