Here in the nation’s capital and in the Bay State, some folks are perplexed by the curious case of Sen. Scott Brown and his decision to back President Obama’s controversial recess appointment last week — a move that irked his Republican comrades and placed him squarely on the side of his likely Democratic challenger. Over the past year, the White House and congressional Republicans have engaged in an epic battle over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a watchdog agency created by the Dodd-Frank Act and built from the ground up by Elizabeth Warren. Republicans hate the bureau, saying it’s too...