Scott Brown and the Jobs Vote
24/02/10 15:48
I've heard a lot made of Scott Brown's vote for Obama's "jobs" bill. He is being burned in effigy by many conservatives as I type. I'd like to remind all of my conservative friends that nobody ever said Scott Brown was Reagan reincarnate. In fact, many on the right looked at his moderate record in Massachusetts and knew that this moment would come. "But why support him then?" I hear. The answer is simple: He was better than the alternative. We had a choice between Coakely and Brown. Brown was opposed to the health care bill (still is judging by his reaction to the proposal Obama put forth on Monday), and he was opposed to cap and trade (also still is). I fully expected Brown to be fairly moderate if for no other reason than he would have to be in order to keep his seat.
So when people ask me if I am discouraged or disappointed by Brown's vote, I say yes and no. I am not disappointed, because it was expected. On the other hand, I am slightly disappointed because I was hopeful that Sen. Brown would continue to vote right on fiscal issues. You have to remember, Brown won that election by campaigning on two issues: health care and spending. Those are the issues the voters will expect him to stick two. My hopes were high that even if we got a bad vote on some of the social issues, that at least he would stand strong on spending. Unfortunatley, calling the bill a "jobs" bill and the handful of other Republicans who voted for the bill gave him cover to cast a yes vote.
In the long run, Brown shouldn't be chastized too much for his vote. After all, we still need him on other issues and other votes. We have to chock this one up to being a Republican from Massachusetts (a far sight better than a Democrat from Massachusetts).
So when people ask me if I am discouraged or disappointed by Brown's vote, I say yes and no. I am not disappointed, because it was expected. On the other hand, I am slightly disappointed because I was hopeful that Sen. Brown would continue to vote right on fiscal issues. You have to remember, Brown won that election by campaigning on two issues: health care and spending. Those are the issues the voters will expect him to stick two. My hopes were high that even if we got a bad vote on some of the social issues, that at least he would stand strong on spending. Unfortunatley, calling the bill a "jobs" bill and the handful of other Republicans who voted for the bill gave him cover to cast a yes vote.
In the long run, Brown shouldn't be chastized too much for his vote. After all, we still need him on other issues and other votes. We have to chock this one up to being a Republican from Massachusetts (a far sight better than a Democrat from Massachusetts).
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