MEMO: Remember Scott Brown 41?
Now that the Supreme Court's majority has chosen legal precedent over Republican talking points, voters of Massachusetts should be reminded that despite his claims of bipartisanship, Brown took office on a promise to be the 41st vote against health care reform. Brown's efforts - to drive young adults off their parent’s health insurance coverage, to allow insurance companies to deny coverage for a pre-existing condition or to cancel your coverage after you get sick – have been frustrated. And the people of Massachusetts have learned that their Senator is more concerned about standing with his party’s leaders than taking real action to address the problems that plague our nation.
Background:
Brown Spoke Out against Health Care Bill. At a press conference at the headquarters of the Massachusetts Republican Party in Boston, Scott Brown spoke out against the health care reform bill. He said, “I could be the 41st senator that could stop the Obama proposal that’s being pushed right now through Congress. I could stop it and they could bring it back to the drawing board.” According to the Boston Globe, “Brown said this afternoon that everyone should have some form of health care coverage, but much of that should be done on a state-by-state basis. And while he supports the landmark health care proposal that Massachusetts approved in 2006, he said, he doesn’t see any benefit to the Bay State that the federal legislation would provide. ‘My primary responsibility is to ensure that the people of Massachusetts get the best value for their dollar,’ Brown said. ‘I’m not concerned about subsidizing South Dakota or North Dakota or Idaho or other states.’” The article also noted that Brown has filed a bill to ease requirements for insurance companies which, he said, would bring down costs. He believes that they should not be required to cover some medical procedures, like in vitro fertilization. [Boston Globe, 12/28/09]Scott Brown Reveals His True Priorities
Tax Day is almost here, which means another opportunity for Scott Brown to trot out stale Republican talking points and reveal where his true priorities are. In his recent radio report, Brown tries to tell us, "Americans pay more today in taxes than they spend on groceries, clothing, and shelter combined." The statement, taken from an RNC email sent around this time last year, may be technically true in the aggregate, but the fact that Brown cites the statistic indicates a deeply distorted set of principles guiding his legislative priorities. The numbers are distorted by the super wealthy, who though they might not pay their fair share in taxes, still can spend only so much on groceries or their designer clothes.
Scott Brown Steals From Conan O’Brien
Did Scott Brown plagiarize AGAIN? This time, he poached from Conan O'Brien.
Washington Post: Scott Brown Struggles To Refight Old Culture War With Elizabeth Warren
On February 16, 2012, the Washington Post wrote:
Late yesterday, Scott Brown — who is under fire from Elizabeth Warren over the issue — went on a New England TV station and faced an absolutely brutal grilling from his questioner, forcing him to repeatedly dissemble about the legislation. You can watch video of the interview here. The reporter repeatedly pointed out that the measure goes much further than just exempting religious organizations from covering contraception; it also allows employers and insurers to refuse to cover any health service they findmorally objectionable. Brown repeatedly insisted that the bill doesn’t do this. [...] Republicans like Brown are desperate for this battle not to be about women’s health or the health care economics of familes, as Warren is framing it, and want to fight it exclusively on old culture war turf by alleging a war on religion. After all, polls suggest that large majorities, including of independents and moderates, see it as the former.Read the full column here.
Boston Globe: Blunt Words For Brown
On February 16, 2012, the Boston Globe wrote:
What is Senator Scott Brown thinking? This is not a rhetorical question. I really want to know: Why would a Republican hoping to be reelected in Massachusetts leap headlong onto Missouri Senator Roy Blunt’s slippery-slope? In case you missed it, Brown cosponsored Blunt’s legislation allowing employers to limit insurance coverage for treatments they find objectionable on moral or religious grounds. [...] And just like that, Blunt has brought us to Crazyland, a place far beyond the issue of contraception, not to mention common sense. What’s mystifying is that Brown has followed him there.Read the full column here.
Boston Herald: Contraception Bill Bad Choice For Scott Brown
On February 16, 2012, the Boston Herald wrote:
U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has co-sponsored a bill that would allow health plans to deny coverage both for contraception and any service that violates the planners’ beliefs. It was a huge mistake.
Scott “Bring Home The Pork” Brown Has Zero Earmark Credibility
This week, Senator Scott Brown has launched a number of attacks on Elizabeth Warren regarding earmarks. Overlooking the fact that Warren has never actually sponsored an earmark, Brown has - and bragged about it. “Listening to Scott Brown talk about earmarks is like listening to Gisele Bundchen talk about football,” said Matt Thornton, spokesman for American Bridge 21st Century. “The fact is, he has gladly and proudly asked for government pork, and his new-found hatred for earmarks is nothing more than an election year gimmick.”
As A State Representative, Scott Brown Boasted Of Pork Prowess
Brown: “I’m Going To Continue to Bring Home The Pork.” When discussing the upcoming 2009 legislative session, the Boston Globe reported that Brown vowed to continue to bring home the pork. “‘The first battle is to protect’ local aid payments to his communities, he said. ‘I’m going to continue to bring home the pork because it offsets what’s being cut. The second battle is to try to be part of the solution to the economic mess.’” [Boston Globe, 1/4/09]POLITICO: Brown Pays Own Daughter To Sing
On February 3, 2012, POLITICO reported:
he Brown campaign made three payments to Ambient Entertainment, the company that represents Ayla Brown, since the end of 2010 — $5,000 on Dec. 3, 2010, $500 on Oct. 5, 2011 and $4,000 on Dec. 7, 2011, for a grand total of $9,500, according to 2010 and 2011 FEC filings.
Boston Globe: Scott Brown’s Daughter Was Paid $9,500 To Sing At Campaign Events
On February 3, 2012, the Boston Globe reported:
Family members often help out on campaigns, stuffing envelopes, making phone calls, and smiling on stage. Usually, it’s for free. Senator Scott Brown’s campaign has spent $9,500 since December 2010 to pay his daughter to sing at three campaign events, including a pair of Christmas parties.
Boston Globe: Senator Scott Brown’s Crass Warfare
On January 18, 2012, Boston Globe columnist Brian McGrory wrote:
If I’m correctly reading Brown’s bizarre logic, Warren is guilty of being a class traitor? She shouldn’t be able to make money because she grew up relatively poor? Or once she did make money, she should have become an advocate for the rich?