While a mostly negative reaction to Scott Brown's vote for cloture on the jobs bill formally known as the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act continues to permeate the conservative echo chamber blogosphere, his Facebook fan page, and on Twitter, and talk radio the reaction locally is somewhat different.
Brock Cordeiro, a GOP activist and occasional contributor to Red Mass Group, said that people are upset because they did not expect this type of vote so early but "in the grand scheme of things this bill is a small bill and I can see why he voted for it politically." Cordeiro points out that people projected unrealistic expectations on Brown in thinking that he was "the next Ronald Reagan."
"Let's be honest Scott always said he was a Scott Brown Republican and wouldn't march in lockstep with anybody. Maybe people nationally just kept seeing and hearing '41' and nothing else," he said.
Earlier in the day the Todd of WRKO's Tom & Todd, Todd Feinburg, defended Brown saying "I think it's a good calculation politically and he's created some space for himself." Later in their broadcast Brown called in and defended his vote for cloture. The Tom of Tom & Todd, Tom Finneran, asked Brown how he feels about bloggers describing him as "Bendidct Brown". Brown responded saying "He doesn't read the blogs...and for them to say I sold out to any particular interest group or party is unfair."
Barbara Anderson, executive director of Citizens for Limited Taxation and endorser of Scott Brown during the special election campaign, said "I'm upset but it may not be worth getting too upset until we have more vote to judge him on."
Republican activist Matt Sisk was not surprised by the vote saying "He has shown that he is staying true to his word by looking at each piece of legislation not as a rank in file Republican but as a true independent voice for the working families of Massachusetts." |
