Scott Brown Breaks With GOP To Support Jobs Bill

WASHINGTON — The Senate's newest member broke ranks Monday with fellow Republicans to support a Democratic jobs bill in an important procedural vote.

The vote of Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown, along with three other Republicans, gave Democrats two more than the 60 votes they needed to end debate and vote on passage of the bill.

Brown called the bill "a small step, but it's still a step...It's not a perfect bill. I would have liked broader and deeper tax cuts, but I was comfortable with that first vote."

Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine,) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio) joined Brown in voting to end debate on the bill.

Brown was elected last month to fill the seat vacated by the death of Edward Kennedy. His election deprived Democrats of the 60 votes needed to end filibusters.

Comments

[StillAmused]

09:28 AM on 02/24/2010

Pop! -- Pop! -- Pop! -- Pop! ...

Teabaggers' and w!ngnuts' heads expl0ding all over the place, and the gloating had only just gotten into high gear.

[Puller58]

05:28 AM on 02/24/2010

Relax people. After the GOP leadership forced him to drink Kool-ade, they realized he needed a bone to toss his constituents. When the stakes are higher, he'll follow the leadership.

[murphthesurf3]

07:57 PM on 02/23/2010

Fellow Progressives:

Mr. Brown has struck a blow for cooperation, for joint government, for bi-partisan dialogue and for the people. He needs our support.

Take some time to drop Mr. Brown a line. You can do it at his U.S. Senate Page (via e mail, or other formats listed there).

Give his office a call.

I did both. When I called his office in Boston, I actually got a person who was happy to hear from someone who thought he had done the right thing. I am not from Mass. but if he keeps acting as a centrist Republican (of which we used to have quite a few from the the Northeast), then I will support him (with calls, letters and campaign contributions).

Most of the noise he is hearing right now is coming from out of state and from the small percent of Mass. citizens who are conservatively rabid.

Let's weigh in from the other side.....Pass the word.

[FHTB]

11:51 PM on 02/23/2010

I wouldn't be so fast in blowing Brown any kisses...he obviously knows he doesn't have a snowball's chance in he-- of getting elected in MA in two years if he voted no. Pissed off the Repubs, fine, but doesn't make him the Golden Boy...not by a light year.

[RDWidner]

07:49 PM on 02/23/2010

There were 5 Republicans that voted for cloture and 1 Democrat that voted against. By reading the posts here you would think it was a vast right wing conspiracy. It is called bipartisanship people. Try not complaining so hard about what you have been asking for!

[Sam52]

07:17 PM on 02/23/2010

Wow!! Country First. Where have I heard that before!! A true representative!!!

[Mark Estrada]

07:00 PM on 02/23/2010

>BREAKING NEWS:<
OFFICIAL NOTICE

Due to the current financial situation caused by the slowdown in the economy, Congress has decided to implement a scheme to put workers of 50 years of age and above on early retirement, thus creating jobs and reducing unemployment.

This scheme will be known as RAPE (Retire Aged People Early).

Persons selected to be RAPED can apply to Congress to be considered for the SHAFT program (Special Help After Forced Termination).

Persons who have been RAPED and SHAFTED will be reviewed under the SCREW program (System Covering Retired-Early Workers).

A person may be RAPED once, SHAFTED twice and SCREWED as many times as Congress deems appropriate.

Persons who have been RAPED could get AIDS (Additional Income for Dependants & Spouse) or HERPES (Half Earnings for Retired Personnel Early Severance).

Obviously persons who have AIDS or HERPES will not be SHAFTED or SCREWED any further by Congress.

Persons who are not RAPED and are staying on will receive as much S**T (Special High Intensity Training) as possible. Congress has always prided themselves on the amount of S**T they give our citizens.

Should you feel that you do not receive enough S**T, please bring this to the attention of your Congressman, who has been trained to give you all the S**T you can handle.

Sincerely,
The Committee for Economic Value of Individual Lives (E.V.I.L.)

[LMPE]

05:59 PM on 02/23/2010

I have a feeling that the GOP "leadership" won't be backing Scott Brown come 2012. They've always got Mitt Romney.

[Carsy]

06:52 PM on 02/23/2010

No he will ride shotgun to Romney. Brown will be brought in to shore up the independents.

[SeaBlood]

05:27 PM on 02/23/2010

Maybe Brown gave this GOP thing a second thought. At first maybe he didn't understand the difference between republican and democrat-----I know that I, myself, didn't know about the difference. In school, I even became a Young Republican, which shows how much I knew back then. But with age comes experience and knowledge; and next thing you know, you're able to understand better what's in men's hearts. The GOP, it turns out, doesn't even have a heart !

[sviolette]

05:21 PM on 02/23/2010

So that's what a blue dog republican looks like. The republicans now know that 41 republicans don't always mean 41 votes. LOL

[FHTB]

11:53 PM on 02/23/2010

Looks like they now have their own Lieberman...but as I said, I wouldn't be too excited by this vote...

[sviolette]

12:12 AM on 02/24/2010

I'm not getting too excited but I'm enjoying it for a short while.

[direct democracy]

05:11 PM on 02/23/2010

Politicians don't solve much, but they're so entertaining to watch.

[bcantrll]

05:06 PM on 02/23/2010

Good for him. A true representative of the people...so far.

[jlyn]

05:03 PM on 02/23/2010

Massachusetts republican = liberal anywhere else in the country. Why so surprised, other than the fact that he didn't march in lockstep with the rest of the non-thinkers in that party.

[FHTB]

11:54 PM on 02/23/2010

True...and he will never win in two years if he starts following the tea bag agenda...

[raker]

04:43 PM on 02/23/2010

A Republican votes for a so-called Democratic bill (a jobs bill, for cripes sake) and the media are shocked. How can it be, they wonder, that a Republican voted with Democrats?? Why? How did this happen? Will apples start falling UP now?

In other news, Democrats are berated for a lack of bipartisanship, by which they mean caving on 90% of the issues just isn't enough, not while there is 10% left uncaved on.

[Nancy J Powell]

04:19 PM on 02/23/2010

Brown took the tea baggers money, through them under the bus and didn't even kiss em

[FHTB]

11:55 PM on 02/23/2010

Though I am delighted that he gave them the raspberry, it won't last long...however, the nuts don't forget, and Brown won't be getting any of their tainted money again.

[Speed Bump]

04:04 PM on 02/23/2010

Tae baggers are up on the bar and shaking them.