So in contrast to all the wisdom around here that Brown is not ready for prime time because he was candid about the political negotiation dance of Ryan’s budget proposal, it seems that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (US Senator since 1984, current Minority Leader and former Majority Whip) is saying exactly the same thing:
Although Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said he will vote for Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) controversial budget plan, he’s not out whipping other members to join him and he’s not even saying whether he supports all of its provisions.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to bring Ryan’s plan — which would substantially alter Medicare benefits — to the floor next week, forcing Republicans to take a position on the measure. McConnell, for his part, plans to force a vote on the budget that President Obama submitted in February.
“What I’ve said to our members is we’re not going to be able to coalesce behind just one [plan],” McConnell said in an interview with Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.” He pointed out that both Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have budget plans of their own that some members of Congress may want to support.
“Candidly, Chris, none of these budgets are going to become law,” McConnell admitted.
So it seems our young freshman Senator has an instinct for the right thing to say after all, and isn’t talking out of line or making rookie mistakes. In fact, he’s leading the leader.
Also, it’s nice to be reminded that it’s Harry Reid bringing Ryan’s budget to the floor. He’s the one making a show and wasting time, the Republicans want to get moving on the real budget talks.
Paul Ryan and John Boehner have handed the Democrats the biggest political gift they could possibly imagine. Really, the only thing better would have been if the budget included a mandatory “death to puppies” provision, but if it had, probably even a few Republicans would have voted against it. Anyway, Reid would be a fool to pass up the opportunity that Ryan and Boehner have handed him. This vote will not only help cement Obama’s reelection (which is looking pretty good right now anyway), it will likely ensure that Democrats keep the Senate and maybe even pick up a seat or two.
It looks like McConnell is taking the pitcher out and getting the next ones warmed up the bullpen. Once he does that, then the team no longer has to support the last pitcher, they can forget about him and start supporting the new one. So I wonder what would happen if the Republican team, en masse, all voted “No” when Reid brings this albatross to the floor? Then none of them would be seen as disloyal to the team, and they could instead complain about the political gamesmanship and silliness of Reid going through the charade of bringing some radical budget proposal to the floor as if it stood a chance.
But they won’t – just watch.
His own party leader has released him to vote as he sees fit?
And he still said he would vote for it?
McConnell may have just released everyone, after Brown had said he’d vote for it. Now he might have an excuse, it won’t be seen as disloyal anymore because Reid has overplayed the overplaying, if that makes sense.
Having first said “I will vote for it” and then reversed himself.
Ryan was the pitcher on the mound up until McConnell brought in the relievers.
That was the moment when all the players on the team get to give the starting pitcher a hand and then start cheering for the next guy. They can’t grouse about the starting pitcher while the manager still has him in there. They can’t cheer for the guy getting ready in the bullpen unless the manager brings him in. They support the guy on the mound until the next guy comes in. That’s not flip flopping. It’s easy to see that’s exactly what Brown was doing here, as much as you guys want him to be a bad teammate who forgets about his role on the team and just goes it alone, he was going to vote for the Ryan budget because the manager still had him out there on the mound, and that’s what teammates do.
It would be nice for one person here to address the point of my post: McConnell said exactly the same thing Brown had said a week earlier in the same candid spirit. So the charge that Brown made some terrible rookie mistake should be withdrawn.
Motion denied. 😉
Brown waffled for a week on this saying “yes”, saying “no”, then saying he didn’t know yet – this on something released on April 4. No one was more wobbly that the MA Jr Senator.
That said, I am glad he is voting “no” – even though the bill does not need his no to fail, but to argue that he was at all a leader on this is crazy. He wasn’t. When Newt Gingrich speaks against something suggesting it is too radically right wing, a supposed MA moderate is not really all the impressive then speaking out.
Not to mention, I posted in response to you that this is how he would vote – and it is 100% political. The sad thing is that he doesn’t appear – given the month and a half to decide this – a strong policy based position on this.