Scott Brown Wins a Senate Seat, Another Big Government Face

According to On the Issues:
Positives include -

• No new regulation of the financial markets. (Jan 2010)
• 15 percent across the board tax cut. (Jan 2010)
• Permanently eliminate the estate tax. (Jan 2010)
• Voted NO on municipal meals tax, in addition to state tax. (Jun 2003)
• Voted NO on raising income tax to 5.95% to offset deficit. (Apr 2003)
• Supported $200K reduction to blind job program. (Jul 2003)
• Opposed $900K for disability & mentoring aid. (Jul 2003)
• Voted NO on earmark for women's substance abuse program. (Feb 2004)
• Opposed federal school breakfast supplement. (Jul 2003)
• Voted NO on 3-year moratorium on charter schools. (May 2003)
• Vouchers for public, private, or religious schools. (Nov 2002) - As long as the Feds stay out.
• Opposes cap-and-trade system, but renewables OK. (Jan 2010)
• Campaign disclosure but no donation limits. (Nov 2002)
• Voted NO on Constitutional call for universal health care. (Jul 2004)

Here are some issues I view a problematic

• MA already has health bill; don't impose new federal bill. (Nov 2009)
• Ensure access to basic health care, including state funding. (Nov 2002)
• Supports enhanced interrogation techniques. (Jan 2010)
• No constitutional rights for enemy combatants. (Jan 2010)
• Culture of patriotism; vigorous homeland defense. (Sep 2009)
• Supports 30,000 more troops in Afghanistan. (Jan 2010)
• Terrorists are not gone from Afghanistan. (Jan 2010)
• Finish the job in Afghanistan: keep Taliban and al-Qaeda out. (Nov 2009
• Concealed carry ok; but licenses & background checks ok too. (Nov 2002)
• Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology. (Nov 2002)
• Voted YES on defining marriage as one man and one woman. (Feb 2004) - This is not a Federal issue.
• No cap on bankers' salaries. (Sep 2009) (For those who take at others expense, you have to pay the piper)
• Abortions should always be legally available. (Nov 2002)
• Support legalized abortion, but not partial-birth abortion. (Jan 2010)

In a victory speech, Brown said the seat belongs to no one but the state's voters.

"This is the people's seat," Brown said to a cheering crowd.

Yes, yes it is Mr. Brown. And you would do well to remember that fact in the future.

The Real Effect

Fool me once, shame on you.

In 1994, Republicans surged into power with the Contract With America amid promises of shrinking the size of government, promoting lower taxes, greater entrepreneurial activity, tort reform and welfare reform. While one can quibble that this was achieved to a degree, the overall net effect during this time was the exact opposite. Government largess grew exponentially, myriads of wars were started, Federal departments were created and liberty was slashed to a nub. Towards the end of 2008, all that remained were entitled carcasses of what was in effect "dead" politicians.

Just like the ring of power, Republicans seized the power and then the power seized them. This is why we the Democrats were able to route the Republicans in 2008 amid "Hope and Change".

Now in 2010 we have individuals that are at best, moderates, clothing themselves in liberty dress in an attempt to garner votes. And we think this is going to change anything? Hardly.
The new Tea Party, 9/12, Turner, Hannity, Limbaugh, Petraeus, Palin, Beck, O'Reilly and Brown; these individuals are all Benedict Arnolds to the cause of liberty and will sell you down the river if the right situation arises.

Webster Griffin Tarpley opines -

...Massachusetts voters settled for second best in the form of cultural populism as represented by the Republican Scott Brown, whose main claim to fame was that he drove a truck with 200,000 miles on it. That is the demagogic essence of cultural populism, the only kind of populism of which Republicans and reactionaries in general are capable.
The boiling rage of the American electorate is directed against the two-party consensus which has made possible the transfer of between $25 and $30 trillion of US government money — Treasury, Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, etc. — in the form of the TARP or bailout, while the official rate of unemployment and underemployment approaches 18%.

Brown is a show pony and more precisely he's what the people think they want, not what they need. The Republicans will not relinquish the ring of power, they will embrace it and lose their integrity in the process.

Fool me twice, shame on me.


UPDATE - Well, that didn't take long.