Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

What’s the difference between Scott Brown and Elmo?

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Brown is the Assistant Minority Whip in the State Senate. As such, it is his job to help Minority Whip Hedlund round up and count Republican votes.

There are five Republicans in the State Senate.

The Assistant Minority Whip gets a stipend of $15,000 for his additional duties…helping the Whip count to five.

(I wonder…is Scott Brown responsible for the remembering the odds or the evens?)

So remember, the next time Scott Brown suggests that he is a fiscal conservative who cares about what happens to our money, what he really means is that he cares about the 15,000 clams we put into his pocket last year because he helped another Republican count to five.

I’ll bet he didn’t need any help counting our $15,000.

Cross posted at NoDrumlins.

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Comments

  1. And I mean it for both majority and minority.  I understand the party function for the whip, but I don’t understand the civic function.

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    p>If it’s extra work, the parties ought to pay for it, not the Commonwealth.

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    p>Small change?  Sure.  Doesn’t matter — it’s our small change.

  2. No criticism of Democrat “leadership” handouts even though those handouts come at a far, far greater cost to the Commonwealth (in dollars, democracy, and citizen liberty).

    • …to justify more leadership (though stomv makes an interesting point above).  When you have just five Republicans, one (maybe two) being in leadership should suffice.

  3.  You make the rules, and you get upset when Republicans follow your rules? Can we spell Hypocrisy with a capital H?
    First Scott Brown gets criticized for doing what ALL democrats do in accepting per diem money. But democrats John Binienda and John Fresolo BOTH accept per diem pay EVEN THOUGH THEY CARPOOLED! Why do they BOTH claim per diem money even though only one had the expense? Talk aboth petty larceny.
    I am expecting the Republican party to have more members next session so that leadership thing won’t be an issue.
    Please bear in mind: If only democrats are left in the state, you’ll have no one to screw but yourselves.  

    • I guess we could always go the way of Hawaii where their State Senate has 2 GOP members (out of 25).  Honestly I wished we had a more viable opposition party here.  If the MA GOP ran on a platform that appealed to local issues rather than parroting the national party I think they could make progress.

      • Like you, I wish we had a two-party system. But if the MA GOP keeps putting up weirdos who represent the fringe rather than the more moderate constituency in MA, they are doomed.

        • Unfortunately, we’re in a period where losing parties think the reason they lost is because they weren’t sufficiently ‘pure enough’, and have to stick more rigidly to their core principles, whatever they may be, to get elected. It never crosses their minds that they lost because what they stood for is not what voters want, and not because they failed to explain themselves. The result is that Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin get all the interest from their activists, and I resolve to never vote Republican for anything while they do.

    • …I want you to back up your constant “Democrats are entitled” sarcasm.  I was very close to giving this comment a zero because I’m so sick of your attitude about this.

        • Why wouldn’t a Palin loving, Obama hating, climate change denying, gay rights opposing, liberal bashing blog commenter be a Democrat?

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          p>Posts like this really hurt your credibility:

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          p>

          “Read up on…” (0.00 / 0)
          You really believe that hogwash about a social good being different from a so-called “detrimental externality”?  In our society anything that serves the liberals’ purpose is a “social good.”  When enough people form an interest group (which has actually already happened with that hodge-podge energy reform bill passed by the House) such as the coal companies of the rust belt, then they become part of the “social good.”  Is the subsidization of mid-west millionaire farmers a “social good”?  How come it costs me $135.00 to have my teeth cleaned?  My teeth are as much of a social good as those of the 700,000 people collecting Mass Health and getting free dental services?  In short, where do we draw the line on these social goods of yours?
          I’ll give you your expertise on house insulation; yes, if I had known I would have done what you suggested.
          Now, cut the BS: when was the last time a liberal used the words “individual responsiblity”? You do use the words “social good” nicely, however.
          by: Edgarthearmenian @ Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 09:43:36 AM EDT

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          p>

          • You have a comic book view of reality.  Go through those archives, which you apparently enjoy doing, and find anything I have ever said negatively about gays or gay marriage. I also voted for Obama, because I believe that change was needed in many areas.  Now, I will plead guilty to being a Sarah Palin fan, having doubts about climate change, and I do love to bash knee-jerk liberals like you.  So that’s only 3 our of 5, my friend. How can I be a Democrat?  Easy:  like Lieberman, Webb of Virginia, and others you could say I am in the tradition of Harry Truman.  What is wrong with that?  
            I don’t worry about my “credibility” because I am not here to bullshit anyone, and unlike you and some others I don’t need a peanut gallery–I will not name them–who have to echo my comments and disparage others who disagree.  I would think that you would enjoy having someone to actually have a discussion with, instead of assuming that superior pose. Unlike you, I do and have changed my opinions on many subjects over the years and I refuse to be stereotyped by a classical liberal like you.

          • And please stop posting my previous remarks out of context. Post the whole conversation, please.  You a pulling a Beck on me.

              • Too bad that you and your clique take disagreement as personal attacks.  And you owe me an apology for all of the personal attacks on me when I said, truthfully, that I am a Democrat. Have been a registered Democrat since 1960.

                • Stormy is a Democrat, therefore he is entitled to personally attack others who don’t wholeheartedly agree with him.  

                  1.  I don’t know who this Stormy cat is.  I’m sure she’s a swell gal.

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                  p>2.  Where is this alleged personal attack by Stormy?

                • Here’s the start of the thread.

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                  p>I’m not sure how accurately stating your positions is a “personal attack.”

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                  p>I do have to say I’ve never been called a “knee jerk liberal” before.  My friends think it’s hilarious.  Thanks.

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                  p>If you really want a discussion, you might want to stop making up positions for people…

                • I am supposedly not a Democrat. Live by your own words: “I’m not sure how accurately stating your positions is a personal attack.”
                  By the way, I reread the thread and see nothing terrible about my remarks.  In fact they may very well be representative of the majority of people. I can see how they would stir up you and your claque, however.

                • By the way the only downgrade I gave was to your friends who felt that the thread was a terrible indictment of me. In fact, Huh, I have been on your side on many of the issues discussed here.  You are a bright guy, and as I told KBusch once, that is the reason I like to read this blog: most people here are very, very intelligent, and earnest.

  4. I am encouraged by the comments above stating that we need to have some level of change in how “extras” are handed out on Beacon Hill.  We have seen a complete disdain for the taxpayers when it comes to raises (whether keeping or donating its all the same to me),the Legislature’s “slush” fund which they voted to retain rather than give it back to help retain programs that serve the less fortunate, and many other areas of expense on Beacon Hill. It would seem to be an opportunity for bipartisan activity early this session (and would look good heading to the November elections for those who sponsor it).

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    p>I am also heartened to hear that many feel a stronger two-party system would benefit the state.  I too believe that a stronger GOP would be helpful to the state and that the GOP needs to get its act together to be that viable opposition party.  I would like to point out though that I have been at a meeting where John Walsh espoused that the state would be better off if Democrats held ALL the seats and no other parties were involved.  While I realize part of that is his position in the party, but wanted to let those of you who agree that a strong two party system is beneficial that your state party leader does not agree with you.

  5. The thing about Brown is that he has absolutely no problem cashing in entitlements that benefit him (getting paid extra to make it to work, “leadership” pay for being the 4th ranking out of 5 republicans), yet he is outraged, smug, and unsympathetic about other peoples entitlements that he thinks he’ll never need (equal marriage rights, ivf, reproductive rights, civil rights).  

    • Social Security check or refusing to sign up for Medicare. I hate to beat a dead horse and get off this track but that is why universal health for everyone should be VAT based on luxury, junk food, and gas taxes.  You see what is happening in Congress now with even labor unions opposed to a taxation on their benefits.  It turns into “every man for himself” and everyone looking to see what the other guy is getting.  To be really successful, as Social Security has been,the basis for the entitlements has to be equally required (e.g. payroll or VAT taxes) of everone and distributed fairly. This is not my original thinking; Rahm Emanuel has already discussed this approach favorably.

  6. Another Finneran concocted back door pay raise for a favored few. The Repub. leader positions have been in place for decades.
    This BS is why we could lose the Senate race. We attack on an issue that Dem. party is to blame, or at least created…Brilliant.  

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