Posted on 02/26/2010 5:14:48 AM PST by Kaslin
After Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., voted in favor of a jobs bill endorsed by President Obama and the majority of Senate Democrats, I immediately heard from a number of Republican friends in and around Washington, D.C. who knew I am a conservative from Massachusetts.
The questions were rapid fire and the anger was surprising. “How dare he side with Obama?” “Is he just a Kennedy Republican?,” and “Where do I go to get my donation back?”
My response to all was, “You have got to be kidding me. This guy has not been in office a month, he’s only taken three votes, and you’re willing and anxious to label him a traitor to the GOP because he voted in the best interests of his constituents?”
The anger, name-calling, and profanity now being directed at Brown from a minority on the right is a perfect example of why I left the Republican party a few years ago. In columns and on the air, I now refer to myself as an “independent conservative.”
In the increasingly worrisome and dangerous Post-9/11 world we all inhabit, it’s more important than ever that we have adult and independent leadership in Washington.
As one who has worked in and around national politics for the last 20 years, I have become disgusted and horrified at the sight of politicians from both sides of the aisle who purposely put self and party before the welfare of our nation.
Again, in a pre-9/11 environment, while not acceptable, such behavior was not fatal. Today, terrorists literally plan night and day to attack our nation in the most lethal way possible.
In his victory night remarks, Brown made it clear that he recognized the pending and growing threat of terrorism. While most in Washington still choose to bury their heads in the sand on the subject, Brown would be wise to seek out former senators Bob Graham and Jim Talent, who now head up the bipartisan and congressionally mandated Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism.
If he does, they will tell him quite candidly that they cited a recent study from the intelligence community, which projected that a one-to-two kilogram release of anthrax spores from a crop duster plane could kill over 400,000 Americans. They would further tell him that these anthrax spores are by far, the easiest WMD available to terrorists.
From all that I have seen and read about Brown, he is an honest and independent voice in Washington. A voice which needs to be welcomed for reasons of national security, independent thought, and civility. Not vilified immediately because he failed to vote in partisan lockstep with the Republican leadership.
With Brown’s somewhat surprising victory, the entrenched political machines of both the left and the right got a timely wake-up call. Not only were the voters of Massachusetts tired of the destructive politics-as-usual coming out of Washington, but the American people are beyond sick of it. So much so, that the majority of voters in our nation now rightfully label themselves independent.
For the moment, the Democrat party finds itself the target of that independent anger and worry. Soon, those same disappointed independents will turn their weary eyes toward the GOP. And when they do, they won’t like what they see. To paraphrase talk show host Glenn Beck, for the Republican Party to say “we suck less than the other guys” is not only not the answer, it’s an insult.
If independent-thinking Brown keeps voting his conscience, he, the Bay State, and our nation, will be the better for his convictions. He just needs to keep fighting that machine and its special interests.
Do you or do you not find it hypocritical that one of Scott Brown's campaign themes was out of control spending?
How many votes against conservative values or the people's will it take for you to begin to question him? Two, Ten, 20? And if you're not giving Scott a hard time for voting for this, then isn't it hypocritical to condemn liberals for the same vote?
If you had no delusions about Scott, is that a good enough reason to not hold his feet to the fire, especially when he directly contradicted his own words with his first vote?
When will you hold him accountable?
Brown always said during the Senate campaign that he would represent his CONSTITUENTS, the people of Mass. to the best of his ability and with an independent mind.
Obviously he believes he has done just that on the Jobs (i.e., Stimulus II) Bill.
If the people of Mass. disagree, THEY will let him know.
If YOU were out of work with a family to support and not wanting to exist on unemployment benefits and food stamps, what would YOU want him to do?
Beat his chest and vote NO for a possible job for YOU in lock-step ideology purity with a political segment of society???
As long as Brown does what he sincerely in his heart and conscience believes is right—as he has a history of doing—he will get along just fine. More power to him.
One can not help but believe had McCain stuck to his now vanquished conservative principles, the election likely would have been different.
Isn't that the same line of thinking Freepers slam liberals for having?
Aren’t you a Romney supporter?
Seemingly a Romneybot too. Why am I not surprised?
It’s hard to hold the White House during an economic meltdown [which I believe was orchestrated and made possible by Fannie/FReddie].
Awww, that hurt, what else you got. Show your POWER.
Liberals are ideologues 24/7. Rational argument/discussion is beyond them.
Generally, they’re not the bit interested in what others, or their constituents believe and want—because they have appointed themselves as little, phony gods.
Are you a Romney supporter?
Well, I firmly believe the ‘collapse’ in September 08 was completely orchestrated, esp. since McCain was ahead in the polls.
“Brown deserves our rage. His response that the angry calls he is getting is because of “Special Interest” manipulation, merely indicates what we can expect in the future from this slick Romney-classed RINO nude posing gigolo!”
Dang! You are so right. I should of wrote all my Massachusetts friends and told them to make sure they vote for Coakley. What was I thinking? /sarc
Obviously you don’t understand the term trade-up. Getting better than what you had.
Yes. McCain had momentum. Then “pow” — electronic run, likely by Russians and perhaps Chinese as well. A possible payoff to Soros later too — Brazilian oil deal.
But if we had a solid conservative opposed to the bailout, you have a point — we still might have won anyway.
Faux outrage, Romney support, any assortment of BOTs, you don’t have much do you?
What is Gov. Romney running for and who is opposing him. give me that information and I will tell you who I support, until then it’s relevant. If it is between he and Obama, I guess I would have to say I am.
By the way are you the one that posts those interesting keywords on Romney threads (and some that aren’t)? Do you have personal experience with those things referred to in those key words.... not that there’s anything wrong with that?
As for keywords, nope, have better things to do with my time than spam Romney keywords, or anything else to do with him (other than to expose him for the fraud he is).
Thanks for dictating what you think I should believe.
Massachusetts was a complete mess to start with. Electing another Liberal RINO who was a slick talker before the election, then turned coat and betrayed the very principles he promised on his very first piece of legislation, not to mention, spit in the face of those faithful Conservatives who believed and donated to him, speaks loudly enough all by itself.
Saying that Brown is "better than they had", when the very first thing he does is support the Democrats 100%, is a rather moronic statement from the start.
Big tent, come one come all, Romney, Huckabee, McLame, Graham, Collins, Snowe, etc, all that matters is the R behind their name because they come from blue states, it's OK if they vote with the Democrats just to stay in office.
You know how well that has worked in the past. And I'm sure you will try to tell me all about it.
If I remember correctly, the vote was 70 for this bill. It was either this or 85 Billion versus the 15 billion they voted for.
He has a lot to learn and possibly thought this was good for his constituents. Let’s wait and see how he votes from here on out before we become judge, jury and executioners.
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