Scott Brown, the Sarah Palin of Massachusetts

Strangely Honest Morning Joe talks MA Senate Race

He's speaking all kinds of sense... and then talks glowingly about Elizabeth Warren in a way I NEVER would have expected. I'm frankly gobsmacked.

Occupy Politics/Occupy the Burbs coverage

It's a MAIN STREET movement. (Natick MA 11/2011)

This is a new thread (instead of cramming more and more into old ones) for coverage on "phase 2" of Occupy tactics (engaging politics) and a running list of press coverage of MA Burb'ish Occupations.

(click here for other posts on this blog re: Occupy)

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My Coffee with Scott

(Writing this up quickly; will make edits to update/add as I have more time)

Last week I flew down to DC to participate in "Coffee with Scott," the one opportunity Sen. Brown has given MA constituents to be able to speak with him without having to pay into his campaign coffers. (12 times a year! First Wed. of every month. If you pre-arrange it with the office. Coffees are in Washington D.C.)

I went down to speak to the issue of efforts in Congress to weaken the Clean Air act provisions. I spoke as a mom of two kids, and I was with 3 other Massachusetts moms.

We asked Sen. Brown his disposition on Sen. Rand Paul's bill to roll-back cross-state air pollution regulations, and his position on regulating mercury emissions from smokestacks, biggest emitters of mercury which is POISON to our children's developing brains (as any pregnant woman learns when she finds out she can't eat Tunafish---too mercury-soaked).

Spotlight on the Senatorfold

Looks like Scott Brown is becoming more and more like Mitt Romney--his positions change whenever it is convenient.  Thought he was a moderate?  Maybe he was.  Well he's not any more.

The senator, who probably hasn't looked at the bill he supports, simply didn't believe it. Brown kept arguing that the Blunt Amendment is only about religious freedom. He's wrong. 

The Republican proposal aims to allow all private-sector employers to deny any health services that businesses might find morally objectionable. Do you work for a grocery store owner who opposes contraception? You're out of luck. How about an accounting firm that doesn't like HIV tests? Too bad. Are you an employee at a factory that finds cervical cancer screenings offensive? Good luck to you.

--The Maddow Blog - Scott Brown stumbles on policy basics  

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We know he loves attention!

Excellent analysis of the political and media game that Scott Brown has been playing--one in which he says the "moderate" thing, even tho it belies his conservative votes, and in so doing gathers credit from the media and thus successfully paints himself as a palateable "independent", electable/voteable by the MA voter.  This time, it's about Planned Parenthood and Title X funding, but there's a pattern with his votes on unemployment, wall street regulation and on and on.  Worth a full read but here's an excerpt:

URGENT: Last Legislation: Your Calls are Needed--DADT, DREAM, START

Tell him to SUPPORT THE ZADROGA 9/11 HEALTH CARE BILL
This is the legislation (renewed once again--thanks to Sen. Harry Reid and SEn. Gillibrand) that would provide health care to the 9/11 rescue workers and first responders.  Scott Brown voted AGAINST it last week--many are very angry about this, including conservatives who support him. Please ask him to take care of these 9/11 heroes. Further info on this blog post.
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CONTACT SENATOR SCOTT BROWN: 
Email him thru his homepage
Phones: Boston -- (617) 565-3170
Washington, DC -- (202) 224-4543 FAX: (202) 228-2646 (you can use services like FaxZero.com to send free faxes from the internet!)
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Call for YES vote on START Treaty

Update Mon 12/20 8:30 PM: START appears to have enough Republican support to pass
Update Mon. 5:00PM: I'm hearing reports that Scott Brown is now a YES on START. Advocacy--calls and emails and spreading the word--works! 
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The obstructionist GOP has been dragging its feet on this.  All former Republican Secretaries of State support its passage.  Fmr. Pres. George H W Bush supports its passage. Reagan's baby has become the latest ploy in GOP obstructionism.  Overview of new START from WaPo. Condoleezza Rice and other GOP bigwigs support its ratification. On some of the latest back/forth from Republican Senators (Dec 18). MIT physicists call on Brown to pass START

• UPDATE: As of earlier today (Mon,  Dec 20, 2010)--Brown's Boston office confirming Brown is still "UNDECIDED" on START, citing "concerns" and wanting "amendments".  Does he know better than Kissinger, Condi Rice and Fmr. Pres. Bush? Call him and tell him to support passage of NEW START treaty.

(while you're at it--send an email to Senator John Kerry and thank him for his support of key legislation such as the above all along--not at the last minute)

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UPDATE 12/18: Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell was repealed yesterday! Brown voted for its repeal, 2x, keeping his promise this time.  DREAM Act did not move forward: with 55 votes, they could not get past the filibuster. Brown voted AGAINST Dream Act moving forward. Be sure to thank Senator Kerry for voting for both DREAM and DADT repeal.  START treaty is still coming for vote next week... GOP leadership still making noises about not supporting it. ???!!! Call Scott Brown. It's unclear where he stands.
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URGENT-- Call now: VOTES HAPPENING BEFORE NOON, SATURDAY 12/18 *TODAY*
please call Scott Brown re: 
- Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal
- DREAM Act

The Votes are TODAY , likely before Noon, (Saturday)--please urge him to vote yes on both.
His position on DADT seems relatively secure (but remember he pulled a fast one last week), but he has said he is opposed to DREAM Act.  Hearing from constituents is important to remind him if/when he takes votes out of step w/ his constituents.

Pentagon Study on the Effects of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" Repeal: Military More Mature than Congressional Republicans

Update 12/17/10: a STANDALONE measure to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell (intro'd by Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins) will go for vote tomorrow (Sat). Scott Brown says he'll vote for repeal. Make sure he doesn't pull a fast one--call his office and tell him you expect him to vote for passage.
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Update 12/9/10: GOP blocked DADT repeal (in the Defense Authorization bill) -- it failed passage forward by THREE VOTES.  Scott Brown--in spite of earlier saying he would vote for repeal--voted AGAINST REPEAL.  Call him and let know what you think of this shameful vote.
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The Pentagon's 9-month study on the effects of repealing "Don't Ask Don't Tell" (which mandates that gays serving in the military remain closeted or be discharged) was released yesterday.  Its results were shocking--SHOCKING!!  A clear majority of soldiers see no negative effect on gay soldiers serving openly!  Wow! In 2010!

Kidding aside it's actually really gratifying to confirm that men and women in uniform are serious and responsible, committed to their jobs and not cultural hysteria over The Gays.

Now that that's settled--it's time to call on those (largely republican) lawmakers who have hemmed/hawed/delayed voting on DADT:  the proof is in!  It's quantified and the conclusion is clear:  repeal DADT.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Scott Brown --surprise!-- is one of those Republican Senators who has argued that Congress can't possibly act on DADT without making sure everybody is OK with it first (because we always check with soldiers first whether orders are OK with them, right?).

Now we have the results, Brown surely will be leading the charge on repealing DADT...right?  Let's give him a call to remind him just in case he forgot.

John McCain is another one...Take a look (it is worth it!):

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MORE ARTICLES:
Marine says: "Sexuality Doesn't Matter on the Battlefield" (Dec 2010)

Paycheck Fairness Act

UPDATE: The Paycheck Fairness Act did NOT pass; Brown did NOT vote for it. 
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CALL BROWN TODAY: The Paycheck Fairness act is going to a vote today---and Brownie is of course a holdout. And he is claiming he’s not hearing from supporters of the bill. So a dozen calls from Needham citizens would help!

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Here's a LIST of things we should be asking Senator Brown to support:

• Paycheck Fairness Act [Update: DID NOT PASS]
• Extending Unemployment Benefits [Update: BROWN NOT SUPPORTING]
• Letting expire the Bush tax cuts for income over $250,000 (would cut $700billion from the deficit)
• Support REPEAL of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
• Support the DREAM act

Email: Click thru Scott Brown's "Comment" Form on website:

Phones: Boston Office -- (617) 565-3170 -Washington, DC Office -- (202) 224-4543

FAX: (202) 228-2646 (you can use services like FaxZero.com to send free faxes from the internet!)

Extending Bush's Deficits with the "Bush Tax Cuts"

Off the Charts Blog | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | Dissecting the Deficit (8/2012) http://goo.gl/XYtIl:  Indeed, the tax cuts and the wars alone account for nearly half of the public debt by 2019.

UPDATE: This NYTimes "solve the deficit" puzzle should be required activity for anyone who claims we should extend the Bush deficit-bombs, tax giveaways to the top 2%.  And here's a useful FACT SHEET about the Bush tax giveaways, from Politifact.
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Here's what's on the table:

 

And here's a little sense of history--the top marginal tax rates over time--with some helpful Questions to Consider in the graphic: 

 UPDATE Dec 1 2010:

The President just announced, with much fanfare, a plan to Freeze federal workers' pay as part of an austerity/cost cutting measure. 

Our own Scott Brown is refusing to extend Unemployment Benefits (which will impact middle and working class Americans right at the holidays) because of the impact on the deficit.

Consider this: 

The "savings" from freezing fed workers' pay is less than 1% of the total deficit.  Not even a drop in the bucket. 

And extending the Bush tax cuts (deficit bombs) for income over $250,000 will add ANOTHER $700 BILLION to the deficit!!

If we are to believe Senator Scott Brown, The Deficit and Not Adding to It is a primary concern that trumps all others, including the protection of families meager safety net income in the winter, over the holidays.  

If Senator Brown argues FOR extending Bush tax holidays for income over $250,000--he will prove himself a liar:  that he doesn't actually care about the deficit. 

 

Call him on it. DO NOT LET SENATOR BROWN GET AWAY WITH VOTING FOR BUSH TAX GIVEAWAY EXTENSIONS.   

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How income has been bleeding away from middle class to the top 1% for the last 30 years...

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CONTACT SENATOR SCOTT BROWN

Email: Click thru his "Comment" Form on website:

Phones:

Boston -- (617) 565-3170

Washington, DC -- (202) 224-4543

FAX: (202) 228-2646

(you can use services like FaxZero.com to send free faxes from the internet!)

Needham again the center of the Democratic universe

Arguing that the January 2010 election of Scott Brown to US Senate was not a radical scrambling of Massachusetts DNA, POLITICO points to Needham's Nov. 2, 2010, election results, where Deval Patrick beat Charlie Baker handily.

Baker (and Brown) both made Needham a special focus during their campaigns (Brown putting campaign HQ here, Baker making several high-profile campaign stops, including one w/ Brown: "Yesterday’s [Needham] event, billed as a “Hometown Rally’’ for Baker...").

So we deserve the shout-out from Politico:

Patrick racked up sizable victory margins in places Brown only narrowly lost in January, steamrolling through Worcester by 27 percentage points and winning Baker’s suburban hometown of Needham by a 10-point margin.

Thanks, Lisa Geller, for calling my attn to this--AND for canvassing all day in Needham for Gov. Patrick!