Scott Brown announced that he was going to announce his campaign, which is kind of a for many obvious reasons, including that he told a Koch brother nine months ago that he was already “banging away” on running for the 2012 election.
In interviews announcing the announcement of his campaign, Brown also took the opportunity to go after his presumptive opponent himself (Karl Rove’s superpac has been going after her for months). He calls her an “extreme liberal,” which is to be expected, but also makes this strange charge:
“She (Warren) says she doesn’t want to go to Washington and just do little things,” Brown said. “She wants to do big things.”
“Big Things” doesn’t sound like a bad campaign slogan; it’s certainly better than “Just Doing little things.” And isn’t it a little early for nice-guy Brown to be going after Warren himself? I could be mistaken but I don’t think she has said anything much about Brown herself.
It’s really showing for Brown that Eric Fehrnstrom is so busy with Slick Willard.
ms says
What does Brown think, that people should go to the US Senate to name Post Offices, and pass non-binding resolutions saying, “we love this, we love that?”
The US needs to change a lot of things concerning money, war and freedom. US Senators should focus on those issues, not dodge them.
Giving no concrete policies of your own while attacking the opponent as “radical,” shows that you are running for Prom King or Queen, not public office.
For most people, Prom is OVER, and a lot of us are dancing the BROKE AND DESPERATE BOOGIE-WOOGIE while the economy goes down the toilet.
P.S. I am not against Prom, or Prom Kings and Queens. I am against running for office with no policy proposals and just tell-offs for the opponents.
bean says
Cue “Stuck in the Middle with You”…
If he takes definite positions to the left, he angers his small Republican base in Massachusetts. If he takes definite positions to the right, he loses the support of moderate independents and cross-over Democrats, some of which he need to win reelection.
bean says
“needs”
bluewatch says
It may be easy for us to see that Scott Brown’s comments are silly, but Scott Brown is a crafty politician. He knows what he’s doing when he calls Elizabeth Warren “extremely liberal”, and his comments aren’t directed at us.
Scott Brown has significant financial backing, and he has many tricks up his sleeve.
Elizabeth Warren is still the underdog, and it’s hard to know what will happen in this election.
SomervilleTom says
It appears to me that he’s attempting to paint Elizabeth Warren as the Democratic counterpart to the extreme right wing Tea-Partiers that have grid-locked Washington. He, of course, carefully avoids the truth that those same Tea-Partiers put him in office.
Perhaps this telegraphs his intent to run towards the middle. He seems like a less-agile Mitt Romney, changing to show the political weather of the moment. Perhaps this is why both chose Mr. Fehrnstrom.
I’ll leave it to political strategists above my pay-grade to advise Ms. Warren on her best approach. I like the fact that she is (a) smart, (b) personally powerful, (c) articulate, (d) well-connected, and (e) expert at the most important issue of our time (the relationships between wealth distribution, the economy, corporate interests, and “the 99%”). On the other hand, I’m one of those leftist outliers.
I will, however, be adding my own financial contributions to her campaign when the primary season finishes and we get to the “big show”.
bluewatch says
Why are you waiting until the primary season ends to make a contribution?
The primary season doesn’t end until September. Between now and then, there will be many attack ads, and Elizabeth will need money to respond.
If you believe in Elizabeth, you should not hold back. You should help her now.
SomervilleTom says
I’m not stuck on a specific date. I can’t give very much, and I want to use it when she will be primarily (no pun intended) focused on Scott Brown. My hope is that the MA Democratic party will figure out a way that allows her to start her “real” campaign before the September primary while simultaneously respecting the other candidates.
My strong preference is that the convention will name her as our candidate without squandering the summer months in a primary campaign whose outcome is either Elizabeth Warren as the nominee or Scott Brown as the Junior Senator from Massachusetts for 2012-2016.
hesterprynne says
With characteristic self-deprecation, Senator Brown (“a modest man who has much to be modest about” — Churchill) declined to mention his own work in Congress on behalf of “little things.” In his stead, therefore, we offer these examples of bills he has sponsored that prove his abiding commitment to insignificance.
Third Prize: Senate Resolution 321, Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Federal Executive Boards.
Second Prize: Senate Bill 1299, Requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the centennial of the establishment of Lions Clubs International.
First Prize: Senate Bill 493, Reauthorizing the small business research innovation program to help start-up companies create jobs. Because no bill should be such a “big thing” that it can’t be filibustered.
bean says
To give a “6”….
Mark L. Bail says
Brown is remarkably consistent. He never did anything in the state house either. I’m sure he signed on as a sponsor to bills, but if I’m not mistaken, the total number of bills he introduced falls from where between 1 and -1. Little things, he comes from where they make them.
Also, I saw Elizabeth Warren speak for a very short time yesterday. She is extraordinarily affable and authentic. I’m not easily impressed, even with candidates I support, and I was impressed.
sabutai says
Mark, were you in Natick for that? We may have spent 8 hours together in the same place…
Mark L. Bail says
I never thought to look for you. I would have liked to meet you in person.
I was at one of the two tables close to the door. David Bernstein is our organizer. We were behind Stacia who seems to be from around Plymouth.
Trickle up says
His reputation for competence baffles me. Everything I have seen of his has this bush-league frat-boy quality to it.
I don’t watch him closely so probably there is something he does well. I just do not know what it is.