Scott Brown’s Tax Cut

A tax cut… proposed by Senator Scott Brown (R-MA).

Almost one month to the day of entering the U.S. Senate after a race that rocked the political world, Sen. Scott Brown, R-MA, has come out with his first piece of legislation — a tax cut.

It targets mostly working class Americans, those employees making up to about $200,000, with a temporary tax cut that would, according to data released from Brown’s office, save the average worker “about $100 a month for a total of at least $500 for individuals and $1,000 for working couples.”

Brown will win few, if any, Democratic supporters, however, as he seeks to pay for the entire amendment with “all unallocated stimulus funds,” of which Brown estimates there is “over $80 billion.”

There has not yet been a full analysis of the bill, which offers the tax cut for a six month period, which determines its price tag, by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Brown’s office, in a statement, said, “Families could immediately use their returned tax dollars to provide for their families and put back into the struggling economy to spur job creation.”

Let’s hope the new senator offers this provision real soon; and let’s also hope that Democrats were inspired by Brown’s non-partisanship and really consider this.

Scott Brown: The Independent Voice

To the surprise–and dismay–of many Republicans, Scott Brown cast a vote in support of a job creation bill.

A modest job-creation bill advanced in the U.S. Senate on Monday as the chamber’s newest Republican bucked his party and sided with Democrats on a $15 billion package of tax cuts and highway spending.

Republican Scott Brown joined four other Republicans, 55 Democrats and two independents to overcome a procedural hurdle that sets up a final vote later this week.

Brown was widely hailed as a conservative hero after his surprise victory in Massachusetts last month gave Republicans enough seats to block most Democratic legislation.

His election prompted President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats to call for increased bipartisanship, and an earlier version of the bill was written with Republican input.

But key Republicans withdrew their support after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scaled it back.

Brown said the bill was not perfect but would help put people back to work.

“I hope my vote today is a strong step toward restoring bipartisanship in Washington,” he said in a statement.

Scott Brown said the following about his vote for the bill:

I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside, and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families. This Senate jobs bill is not perfect. I wish the tax cuts were deeper and broader, but I am voting for it because it contains measures that will help put people back …to work. … I hope for improvements in that process going forward.

Based on the criteria that Scott Brown campaigned on, no one should be surprised by our new Senator’s vote. He said he was an independent thinker, and if he saw a bill he liked, it wouldn’t matter whose bill it was–if it’s good for Massachusetts, he’ll vote for it.

Now, you may disagree with whether or not this bill is “good for Massachusetts,” but for crying out loud, Scott Brown has not done anything that should be a surprise. In fact, if he specifically voted against this bill because of strict party line, I would be disappointed–and I’m equally disappointed in the people who call themselves Republicans who hoped that Brown would be just a rank-and-file Republican who would only vote for a bill if the Republican Party supported it. It wasn’t that long ago that Brown was campaigning, clearly there are more than a few people with short memories.

The problem with politics as usual is that there aren’t enough people willingly to cross party lines and vote for what they believe is a good bill. If you disagree with their judgment, fine, but when you vote for someone who spends millions of dollars telling you he’s going to be an independent voice, don’t be surprised if he “disappoints” you on occasion. Did you think that Scott Brown was an über-conservative? Sorry, if you didn’t know that before you voted for him, than you are the foolish one. If he was a hard-core conservative, he may not be in Washington right now. Think about that.

For the record, I have not read the bill in question; I know nothing about it in detail. I voted for Scott Brown because between him and Martha Coakley, I trust Scott Brown to represent my interests more than Coakley. I can guarantee that over the remainder of the term he is serving, my interests will have been served better by Scott Brown than they would have by Martha Coakley. If your support is going to waver based on singular votes, you’re gonna be in for a bumpy ride.

Do you want to jump ship? Jump ship. You won’t be missed. There may be room on the bandwagon when you change your mind, but don’t expect a warm welcome from me.

Get over it. There will be bigger battles down the road.

Democratic Brown Nosing

Senator Scott Brown will be setting the tone for his term as Senator with his votes…like his upcoming vote on an employment bill.

Sen. Scott Brown – who campaigned on jobs creation – is facing the first tough test of his independence as Republicans and Democrats court his support for a critical employment bill slated to come up for a vote Monday.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is challenging the rising GOP star to buck his own party and support the Democratic measure.

“The issue for Sen. Brown is the Republican leadership is prepared to vote against it for purely political reasons,” Reid’s spokesman, Jim Manley, told the Herald. “The question is whether Sen. Brown is going to vote with his constituents or vote the way the Republican leadership wants him to vote.”

The $15 billion proposal, pared down from $87 billion to woo Republicans, includes a payroll tax break for businesses that hire unemployed workers and a $1,000 tax credit to employers for every new worker retained for a year.

Reid called Brown earlier this week to ask for his vote, but Manley said the Bay State’s junior senator was noncommittal.

Republican leaders are watching Brown’s first votes closely. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has said he understands Brown will “be an independent voice,” is still determining Brown’s committee assignments, a key to his political clout.

Brown has not ruled out supporting the jobs bill.

“If it’s good for Massachusetts and will help get our economy back on track, it’s something he’ll vote for,” said Brown spokesman Colin Reed.

That, and that alone, should be the only criteria for Brown’s vote. Senator Harry Reid trying to convince him to break from the Republican Party’s stance on the bill for the sake of breaking from the Republican Party is not what being an “independent voice” is all about.

Scott Brown was elected to serve the People as our Senator, and represent the interests of the People of Massachusetts; not the interests of Senator Harry Reid and the Democrats. Let Scott Brown do what he was sent to Washington to do. If he decides this bill is garbage, then that is his decision–please, don’t try to suggest that any vote against the will of the Democrats is out of step with Scott Brown’s mantra that he will be an “independent voice.” Scott Brown’s promise to be an “independent voice” should be judged over the course of his term as Senator, not judged by a handful of votes before he finishes his first month as our Senator.

Lt. Gov Calls Brown “Flat Wrong”

Lt. Governor Tim Murray is throwing some punches at Senator Scott Brown.

Newly elected Sen. Scott Brown is “flat-out wrong” to suggest the federal stimulus package has not created a single new job in Massachusetts, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray said Wednesday.

Marking the first anniversary of the $787 billion legislation, the Democrat said more than 25,000 jobs have been saved or created in the Bay State. Brown, the Republican who won the race to succeed the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, has insisted none had been created.

“He’s flat-out wrong. He was flat-out wrong in the campaign, and he’s flat-out wrong now,” Murray told reporters during a conference call organized by the Democratic National Committee.

We all know the Governor is trying to create one job… but what about real jobs–like private sector jobs?
I think we can look to another Senator, Senator Evan Bayh to substantiate Senator Brown’s claim:

“If I could create one job in the private sector by helping to grow a business, that would be one more than Congress has created in the last six months…”

Brown dismissed Murray’s comments.

“No amount of political spin can change the fact that we have lost jobs every month since the stimulus passed,” said Brown spokesman Colin Reed. “Only in the alternative universe that is Beacon Hill would they consider that a success.”

Why is Murray putting in his two cents? Is Murray’s political posturing indicative of a forthcoming bold move?

Was Niki Tsongas A Joke, Too?

Rep. Patrick Kennedy has called Scott Brown’s election to the Senate “a joke”…

Sen. Scott Brown’s (R-Mass.) election has been shown to be “a joke,” the son of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) said Thursday.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) castigated Brown for having pushed to be sworn in ahead of schedule to permanently fill the Senate seat left vacant by the congressman’s father’s death in August.

“Brown’s whole candidacy was shown to be a joke today when he was sworn in early in order to cast his first vote as an objection to Obama’s appointment to the NLRB,” Kennedy said Thursday.

Kennedy was referencing some Democrats’ thoughts that Brown tried to bump up his swearing-in in order to give Republicans 41 votes, enough to filibuster the nomination of Craig Becker, a controversial nominee to join the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

I keep coming back to this, but how is that any different than Niki Tsongas getting the express swearing-in so she could help vote to override a President Bush veto?
Call it whatever you want–the joke will be on you in November and in 2012.