President Obama took to the rostrum at State of the Union last night and called upon Congress to pass legislation to prevent Congressional Insider Trading. The notion is a rare instance of something that should rightly attract bipartisan support. Our Senator, Scott Brown, was the first member of Congress to author a comprehensive bill on the subject, and last night President Obama expressed his support for Brown's measure. After finishing his State of the Union Address, Obama expressed to Brown in the well of the House while on national television that he'd tell Harry Reid to "get it done".
Will the President and Majority Leader Reid make good on their promises of bipartisanship and support the Brown bill as promised? Will the press hold them to this commitment?
UPDATE Official Transcript:
U.S. SENATOR SCOTT BROWN: My insider trading bill is on Harry's [Majority Leader Harry Reid] desk right now. Tell him to get it out.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell him to get it done. How's your daughter?
Here are 5 Public Policy Principles worth following:
1. Bailout Economics has failed and must end - TARP has been the worse piece of U.S. legislation since Reconstruction. The law has extended the Great Recession and U.S. Housing Crisis. Less than 1% of the 800 Billion which was appropriated by Congress has actually been expended for homeowner loan modifications! We must be unrelenting in demanding more accountability and transparency with big banks and Wall Street Firms that took billions in federal bailout money.
2. Crony capitalism is the new source of inequality - I do not support corporate welfare, ethanol subsidies or solar panel giveaways and believe all three represent the true source of inequality in this country. I agree with a leading congressman when he recently observed the real, class divisions that threaten America are: "A society of bureaucrats and connected, crony capitalists trying to rise above the rest of us, call the shots, rig the rules, and preserve their place [in Washington DC and on Beacon Hill]."
3. Tax increases in any recession should be avoided - Instead of job killing tax hikes, or failed stimulus strategies that have done nothing more than cost shift expenses to our municipalities and school districts, let's fundamentally reform the tax code rather than force one group of Americans against another. Free Enterprise should be encouraged rather than officials engaging in class warfare rhetoric or income redistribution.
Let's lower rates for everyone; close loopholes and crony giveaways while developing a simpler system that rewards saving, investment and capital formation. Example: In 2011, GE paid no federal taxes on 15 Billion in profits with a 56k page return! This is wrong and must end.
4. All public officials should oppose the Generational Theft which is our National Debt and unfunded liabilities - We do not have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem which is being unfairly placed on the backs of our kids and grandchildren. Let's introduce a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, and push for reforms that save teacher and other municipal positions instead of sticking our heads in the sand pretending the fiscal crisis is going away.
We can make our public pension systems solvent and avoid massive, future layoffs by acting responsibly today.
5. Save Medicare for Seniors (65+) - Last June, in Lowell, the MA Democratic Party adopted Medicare for All (S Bill 509) into their party platform effectively caving to the Far Left within their ranks. This socialized medicine scheme, sponsored by my opponent, incumbent State Sen. Jaime Eldridge, would radically alter MA health care quality, diminish choice, reduce the number of MA primary care doctors practicing, and force private sector layoffs - all in the worst U.S. economy since 1929.
My position is let's make the original Medicare program solvent instead. Then fix the MA Health Connector for small businesses and individuals.
Turning the Commonwealth's Health Care System into a Vermont or Canadian model would require this Legislature and Governor to adopt 5 NEW STATE TAXES (on employees, employers, self-employed and a 12.5% tax on unearned income).
Let's get serious.
So called 'Medicare for All' is too costly, unworkable and counter productive for the financially strapped, 1965 health care program we have now. For Eldridge to introduce a massive, new, open-ended entitlement when Medicare for Seniors stands on the brink of insolvency - that makes ObamaCare look radically conservative and incremental. It is simply not viable.
Dean Cavaretta
Candidate for MA State Senate
Middlesex & Worcester District
www.DeanCavaretta.com
FREEZIN' FOR A REASON: Big crowd today for Scott Brown office opening in Southie. Despite a pretty significant snow storm and cold weather, people still made it out to support OUR Senator. While I understand this was a campaign event, I cannot remember any Member of Congress from Massachusetts ever attending more events, being more accessible, and working as hard to reach out to people. Part of it is necessity, but I still appreciate it and I can tell that Scott likes to do it. A big hearty "Go Patriots" from him at the end, too. Unlike John Kerry and most Massachusetts politicians, you get the sense that he meant it. Scott is the type of guy I can imagine seeing at a tailgate, and that's pretty awesome.
BETTY REBUFFS: In a statement that made her look incredibly small and un-statesman-like, Elizabeth Warren resorted to name calling and paranoid taunts about Karl Rove when it came to an agreement about avoiding outside ads in the upcoming race. "The proposal Brown has put forward still includes loopholes that Karl Rove could drive a tank through." claimed the Warren camp, giving us an insight on the level of dialogue we may expect from the Ivy League law school prof'. I guess I expected a bit more of her and the kind of conversation her campaign would create.
DELAHUNT DOUBLE DEAL: A must read article from Glen Johnson over at the Globe. I've sort of come to expect some biased reporting from Johnson (or the Globe in general) but he didn't hold back on the former 10th District Congressman. You should really read it yourself, but basically Delahunt is DIRECTLY (no middle man, no offshoot, no anything, DIRECTLY) profiting from earmarks he got appropriated from his time in office.
"It may not be illegal, it may not be unethical, but it's certainly another reason why taxpayers hold Congress and its members in such low esteem right now,'' said Tom Schatz of Citizens Against Government Waste
I'm sure it isn't un-ethical according to House Ethics rules, but I'll go a step further and humbly posit that it actually is unethical.
"Two years ago today, the people of Massachusetts shocked the political world by electing my husband as their senator. It was a proud and historic moment, and no one was prouder of Scott.
"When Scott first thought about running for the Senate back in 2009, I wasn't so sure it was a good idea. But after a lot of conversations, I could see just how much he cared. And just how much he believed that America deserved better than what we were getting from Washington -- how differently he would do things if he had the chance.
"And I knew he was right. Even so, I worried that Scott didn't have much chance of winning the election.
"Well, after 25 years of marriage to Scott Brown, I should have known better.
"Scott is THE most hard-working, earnest and honest man I have ever known. You all have come to see these qualities in Scott the senator, but I wanted to take a moment to share with you the side of him I see: Scott the husband and father.
"Anyone who has read his book knows that Scott didn't have it easy growing up.
"With a lot of hard work, and great people around him, he overcame a childhood of abuse and poverty. But those experiences did not break him. In fact they made him stronger -- even more devoted to me as his wife-- and to our two daughters.
"I've come to understand that it is these challenges that make him who he is, shaping his values and character.
"Scott understands the devastation of joblessness on a family because he's lived through it. He knows what it's like to go hungry. When uncertainty and fear were his constant companions, he learned to be strong and self-reliant.
"Scott's past has made him determined to be a better husband and father than he ever knew. He made the personal vow that his kids would have the stable childhood he never experienced. And he has kept his word.
"But Scott knows that these immense opportunities are only possible because of this great country we live in.
"It's America that made it possible for a poor kid --with all the odds stacked against him -- to work hard, get an education, start a business, own a home, and hand off to his two daughters a world of opportunity.
"But, today, for too many other families, that America is slipping away. We can NOT let that happen.
"I KNOW Scott Brown will not let that happen, and that's why we NEED him in Washington.
"He's working hard every day to make the American Dream a reality.
"He is a wise, trustworthy, and compassionate public servant. He is a credit to our state and to our country.
"He's got my vote, and I hope he'll have yours. Please welcome my husband and YOUR U.S. Senator, Scott Brown!"
"Thank you very much. It's always great to be here in Worcester, especially with so many friends from here and across the state. You all know my wife Gail, and our daughters Ayla and Arianna. It's another big day for our family, and we thank you all for coming out to share it with us.
"Many of you were here at Mechanics Hall two years ago, in the closing hours of a tough and memorable election. Worcester was the perfect place to wrap up that winning campaign in January 2010. So, the way I figure it, what better place to start the winning campaign of 2012?
"Two years ago today, the whole country was watching, waiting to see what would happen in Massachusetts. After we lost Ted Kennedy, there was suddenly a vacancy in the United States Senate. And for the political establishment, it came down to a simple question: Which Democrat would move into the seat?
"For years, everyone knew what the deal was in this state: You get chosen by the machine, you go along to get along, please the right people, and the rest is easy. But we had a different idea. Elections aren't supposed to be easy, and public offices do not belong to any party by right. Two years ago you sent the establishment a very powerful message, a message that still resonates today. We won two years ago because we respected voters enough to give them a choice. As I said many times in that special election, it is your choice, and it still is the people's seat.
"A lot has changed in these two years, but not that. It is not the establishment's seat...it is not the Democrats' seat...It is still the people's seat - it's your seat. For anyone running, it still has to be earned. And that is what brings us here today: I am honored to be your United States senator, I am running for re-election to the U.S. Senate, and I ask for your vote.
"I'll tell you something else that hasn't changed in this state since 2010, and that's the attitude of the political machine. They didn't like being challenged then, and they really don't like it any better now. They want to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. And we all know what 'normal' means for them: It means we go back to one party, one way of thinking, one way of voting - just going in lockstep and doing what you're told. That old go-along-get-along mentality. You know it and I know it, it's got to stop here. It's got to stop now.
"I wouldn't be here at all if I worried about long odds. Once again, I'm going to run hard and keep my focus. I'm going to campaign on the issues ... not take a single vote for granted ... and speak directly to the people of our great state.
"Once again I won't have the political establishment behind me - not the one on Beacon Hill, and certainly not the one on Capitol Hill. All I will have going for me is my independent record as your United States Senator, and the independent spirit of the Massachusetts voter. I'll take those advantages any day over the political machine, and with your help in this campaign we will beat the odds again together.
"A lot of people these days feel like they're up against tough odds, because we still have a jobs crisis in this country. The governing establishment promised to get the economy moving again, but their policies have failed. And with new liabilities like Obamacare, they have added a debt crisis as well. How do you know when the political class is borrowing and spending the country toward disaster? I'd say a pretty sure sign is when the credit rating of the United States is downgraded, and that's where the tax and spend attitude in Washington has taken us.
"Elections are about accountability, and establishment candidates will have a lot of explaining to do. They'll try again and again to talk about something else during this election. They'll wage class warfare, pitting one group of Americans against another. They will attack success, and our free enterprise system. They will use terms like 'us' and 'them.' Our campaign will always be about 'We the People.'
Red Mass Group has obtained the following excerpts of Scott Brown's Announcement Speech tonight
"Once again I won't have the political establishment behind me - not the one on Beacon Hill, and certainly not the one on Capitol Hill. All I will have going for me is my independent record as your United States Senator, and the independent spirit of the Massachusetts voter. I'll take those advantages any day over the political machine, and with your help in this campaign we will beat the odds again together.
"A lot of people these days feel like they're up against tough odds, because we still have a jobs crisis in this country. The governing establishment promised to get the economy moving again, but their policies have failed. And with new liabilities like Obamacare, they have added a debt crisis as well. How do you know when the political class is borrowing and spending the country toward disaster? I'd say a pretty sure sign is when the credit rating of the United States is downgraded, and that's where the tax and spend attitude in Washington has taken us.
"Elections are about accountability, and establishment candidates will have a lot of explaining to do. They'll try again and again to talk about something else during this election. They'll wage class warfare, pitting one group of Americans against another. They will attack success, and our free enterprise system. They will use terms like 'us' and 'them.' Our campaign will always be about 'We the People.'
"Things would be a lot better in this country if more people in Washington were willing to think for themselves, and to work with each other for the good of America. Two years ago, I pledged to work with colleagues in the delegation and I have done so. I told the voters that I wouldn't just be another loud, angry partisan, because Washington has too many of those already. I promised to be an independent voice for you, because Washington has too few of those serving right now. I don't worry about the party line. I don't get caught up in petty fights. I always remember why I am there and who sent me. I am still nobody's senator but yours.
...
"Even though Washington already wastes far too much of your hard-earned money, it's a guarantee that my opponent will fall right into line with the Washington mindset of more spending, more debt, and eventually more taxes to bail out the big spenders. And that's a debate I welcome. In 2012, I will run proudly as the only candidate in this race who supports a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. We do it here in Massachusetts, and we should do it in Washington, D.C.
...
"In government, you can argue forever and try to be the one who wins by shouting the loudest. Or you can get serious, assume the good faith of others, and do the much harder work of solving the problems that can't wait. Let's look at a few of these issues - our seniors depend on Social Security and Medicare, and it's our responsibility to keep those programs solid and secure without raising taxes. Our economy is undermined by a tax code that is unfair and too complicated, and it's our job to reform it in a way that doesn't fuel more spending but lowers rates for everyone. The reason the government has lost all credibility in stopping illegal immigration is because of the magnets we create like in-state tuition breaks that bring more people here in violation of the law. Whatever reforms come later on, it is our duty, right now, to enforce the law and secure the border of the United States.
"As long as I am your senator, I will work with any person of good will in Congress who is ready to confront these challenges and be part of the solution. I've found that good things have a way of happening in government, when you're looking for friends and not just for fights. And this points to one of the defining differences in the choice Massachusetts voters will have in 2012."
Here's hoping that there's an overflow crowd of activists from across the Commonwealth! If you can't make this event for whatever reason, I'm sure there will be more and more local opportunities coming very soon!
SAVE THE DATE: January 19th, 2012 at Mechanics Hall, Worcester
Scott Brown's Official Campaign Kick Off
January 17th, 2010: Thousands of people filled Mechanics Hall to show their support for Scott Brown.
January 19th, 2010: Scott Brown is elected US Senator by the people of Massachusetts.
Two years after his historic victory, our Senator will be returning to Worcester to officially kick off his campaign for re-election.
Please join us on January 19th, 2012 at 6pm (doors open at 5pm) at the historic Mechanics Hall in Worcester.
In case you missed the incredible energy that came to Worcester just days before Scott's special election in 2010... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Don't miss out on this event!
Please help us pack Mechanics Hall once again to show our continued support for our Senator as he begins another tough battle for the People's Seat. We will be making phone calls to friends and supporters January 3rd thru January 18th and we NEED your help! Those who volunteer their time and are able to recruit the most friends and supporters to attend on January 19th will be offered a spot on stage with Scott or in the front row as he announces his candidacy for re-election live on the evening news.
Here is the information for the phone banks taking place next week. Please let me know if you would like to help get the word out, but cannot attend one of these phone banks. I'm happy to accomodate anyone who would like to help out!
WHAT:Phone Banks to Invite Friends & Supporters to January 19th Campaign Kick Off for Senator Scott Brown
WHEN: Tuesday, January 3rd from 5pm to 8pm / Wednesday, January 4th from 3pm to 7pm / Thursday, January 5th from 3pm to 6pm
*Please note that there are different times for each day.
Contact Kayla Berube, Regional Field Representative at 508-414-5482 or kberube@massvictory.com if you are planning to attend or would like more info.
****There will also be a cell-phone bank at Leominster GOP HQ on Wednesday, January 4th from 3pm to 7pm. Contact: Frank Ardinger, leominstergop@msn.com
Hope to see you all on January 19th... or earlier! We will be having more phone banks the following week, as well as a sign-making party. Please let me know if you will be attending the Campaign Kick-Off on January 19th and how you can help us bring back that same energy that pushed Scott to victory in 2010!
--
Kayla Berube
Regional Field Director
Massachusetts Victory
508.414.5482
A very sharp set of observations from UMass Professor Maurice Cunnningham over at CommonWealth. The table is set for November 2012 and not all is hopeless for a party that barely represents 13% of the electorate.
The Democrats dependably serve up a generous helping of scandals, and there is some turmoil in the House, as shown by Speaker Robert DeLeo's recent removal of Rep. Charles Murphy from his leadership post. Labor was reeling in the most recent legislative session, with even Democrats accepting the need for stronger managerial controls in public employment. There are intellectual engines for conservatives from the Pioneer Institute and the Beacon Hill Institute. Redmassgroup.com provides a punchy daily blog on conservative, libertarian, and party politics.
Barney Frank is leaving. Bill Keating is moving. Richard Tisei is in against John Tierney. These are all opportunities for Republicans to compete and win congressional seats. And as state legislators and other elected officials attempt to move to Congress, they leave behind open seats. Whereas incumbents win at least 95 percent of the time, an open seat is much easier to capture for the out party. If Mitt Romney gets the Republican nomination for president, that puts our former governor and Scott Brown atop the GOP ticket. They could even build a coordinated campaign that would help down ballot candidates here.
But getting back to reality, Professor Cunningham notes that all could come apart easily with the nomination of Newt Gingrich, the antithesis of Massachusetts Republicanism and a sure-bet train wreck. Gingrich will destroy not only the top of the ticket where Brown needs every lucky break but also the down ballot where the GOP is trying to hold on to the seats it captured in 2010.
Read the whole article. There's very little to disagree with.
(This is going to be a close election. Scott can still win this. We all need to help in any way we can. - promoted by Rob "EaBo Clipper" Eno)
For those who take last year's dismal results seriously, the UMass Lowell poll released today is no surprise. Scott Brown can be toast in November 2012. How he turns it around will say a lot about the GOP base in Massachusetts and whether they will gravitate around well-meaning but very unpopular Tea Party themes or whether they will offer a forward looking agenda extolling competition and good government. On the heels of this poll, the Tea Party contingent crowd will complain about media bias but the Tea Party is LESS popular that Occupy Wall Street according to the Herald, a group that, as the poll shows, is drawing liberal criticism.
There is little, it appears, that Scott Brown can do to turn the momentum for Liz Warren around. Next November President Obama will be at the top of the ticket. November 2012 was a prelude to what can happen if the GOP doesn't shift its message from one of simple anger and frustration to something positive that appeals not only to social conservatives but also libertarians and independents. There is a slither of hope, however, most voters say they are open to changing their minds; Scott Brown has run a decent campaign and he is running hard. Catcalls of RINO from the backbenches aren't going to help the junior Senator. He needs every GOP vote.
Brown still leads Warren among independent voters by a wide margin, 53-37 percent, according to the poll. But because there are so few Republicans in Massachusetts, Brown is far short of the support from independents he needs to be competitive in the 2012 election, according to most analysts.
The poll also shows that the race remains extremely volatile, with more than half of Massachusetts voters saying they still could change their mind. Among voters who say they have definitely made up their minds, Warren leads Brown by 24-21 percent.
Should the Brown campaign, the GOP state committee and new candidates not fine-tune their message toward the center in Massachusetts, the Republican gains in the House will be at risk. One state representative recently said with Barry Obama at the top of the ticket the emphasis will not be on expansion but on protecting the frosh GOP members. A move that has been all the much harder due to redistricting.
Well the Occupy-set and their circus of people clothed in trash bags, Panther berets(LOL), and tie-dyed hair crashed Senator Scott Brown's office today DEMANDING that Scott Brown submit to their ridiculous Mau-Mau-ing. They even went as far as to label him "a coward" for allegedly dodging their side show when he wasn't able to speak to them.
Naturally the echo chambers of the left breathlessly howled with headlines like:
COWARD SCOTT BROWN WON'T MEET TAKE BACK THE CAPITAL CONSTITUENTS - DailyKos
What they failed to realize is that according to his office, Brown was out fulfilling his National Guard duty. Standing ready to defend the rights of free speech, and for the freedom to loiter and squat in Senate office buildings whilst wearing dozens of facial piercings and giving people dirty looks. What a country!
But seriously, thanks for your service Senator Brown... even if our friends in the Occupy Movement don't quite understand it.
(Happy Thanksgiving to you as well Senator. - promoted by Rob "EaBo Clipper" Eno)
On this Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support and the trust you've placed in me as your United States Senator.
I'm thankful for many things, but especially for the love of my wife and family. Every moment spent with them is special to me.
We were together in Wrentham recently, and made this family video to wish everyone a happy holiday. Ayla and Arianna also discussed some of the Brown family's Turkey Day routines. Check it out by watching the video below.
(This may also be Scott polling to see how the ads are working against him, and how to counter them. Just saying.
- promoted by Rob "EaBo Clipper" Eno)
This is the second anti-Scott special interest group poll I have received. The short story is that the League of Conservation Voters commissioned a poll to determine how effective their ad campaign had been. The longer story is:
There have been a lot of YouTube videos pertaining to the 2012 U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts that have been trying to go viral. Let's go to the scoreboard.
Of course, the winner, we all know, is the video of Elizabeth Warren talking about the debt crisis and fair taxation. In less than two months, it is approaching 800,000 views. By comparison, Scott Brown released a video offering meaningless (and pretty absurd - "go forth and conquer" anybody) platitudes about jobs. In almost three months, it is approaching 2,900 views. Yeah, a bit of a gap.
The right-wing has also gotten into the mix. The MassGOP released its first web video "Throw Rocks" a little over a month ago. It was most notorious for its squiggly, tinted camera-editing designed to make Elizabeth Warren look evil and scary. Well done, MassGOP. Credit where it's due, though. In just over a month, the video is approaching 59,000 views. That said, over 10,000 of the views (the plurality of views from any one site), according the page's statistics, were from HuffingtonPost.com, ostensibly with a liberal audience meaning that the MassGOP only served to drive up support and contributions for Elizabeth Warren with their ham-handed video.
The MassGOP dipped their toe in the YouTube water a second time with "Matriarch of Mayhem;" but, with sequels, it dropped off from the original. In about three weeks, it's at about 21,000 views. Apparently, the MassGOP got a good deal on the squiggly, tinted footage editing; and, apparently, the MassGOP thinks that everyone knows and respects the judgment of Douglas Schoen (who?), who the video references multiple times. The gist of the video is apparently that, because some people at Occupy events were rightly or wrongly arrested and a some people there don't like capitalism, um, Elizabeth Warren is bad... or something... huh?
Taking the Occupy-connection to whole new levels of silly shadowy production values, but relying on pretty much identical conceptual content as "Matriarch of Mayhem," Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS PAC spews out "Foundation." More Occupiers getting arrested (rightly or wrongly), more, um, Douglas Schoen (huh? who?), more shadowy, tinted film editing. Oh, and the tagline "We need jobs, not theories and protests." That's flat-out hilarious. After all, we do hear people complaining about, um, "theories" all the time. In almost a week, though, the YouTube video is up to 63,000+ views, fairly impressive. But wait. Where are these 63,000 views coming from? The plurality, 10,000+, have come from ActBlue.com, the Democratic fundraising site. In other words, the #1 site that has viewed Karl Rove's attack video has been a website dedicated to raising money for Democratic candidates. What is the #2 site? With 6,600+ views, it's Huffington Post. What is the #3 site? With 4,400+ views, it's DailyKos. In other words, of the 60,000 or so views, over one-third, or 20,000+, have occurred on liberal/progressive/Democratic-supportive websites raising money and/or awareness for Elizabeth Warren. Basically, the primary purpose of Karl Rove's video has been to raise more money for Elizabeth Warren. Well played, Karl Rove.
That said, Karl Rove's silly attack video seems to have partially motivated Elizabeth Warren's first campaign ad, a one-minute bio-spot that explains who she is, where she comes from, and why she's running. "Who I Am" packs a lot of material into a short time-span. And, in just over one single day, it has over 70,000 views. That well tops the viewing efficiency of either the MassGOP or Karl Rove.
So, to recap:
Elizabeth Warren on the economy: almost 800,000 views in under 2 months
Scott Brown on jobs: almost 2,900 views in almost 3 months
MassGOP's Throw Rocks: 59,000 views in just over a month (though 10K+ have been from HuffPo)
MassGOP's Matriarch: a dip from Rocks, 21,000 views in about 3 weeks
Karl Rove's Foundation: 63,000 views in almost a week (20K+ of which have been on ActBlue, HuffPo, and DailyKos, raising support and/or money for Elizabeth Warren - thanks, Karl!)
Elizabeth Warren's first campaign ad: over 70,000 views in just about 1 single day
So Elizabeth Warren talking about the economy tops Scott Brown talking about the economy more than 250 times over.
And Elizabeth Warren's first campaign ad has more views in one day than Karl Rove has in a week or the MassGOP has on either of its videos in 3-4 weeks. And that's a blessing for the GOP since Karl Rove's video has been a terrific donation-generator for Elizabeth Warren anyway.
Keep up the great work, Karl Rove and the MassGOP!
This episode is incredibly telling, both about Elizabeth Warren's unflappability and about Scott Brown's apparent supporters' willingness to proverbially throw rocks.
Elizabeth Warren holds a volunteer organizing event in Brockton and packs the room, like she did in Framingham earlier in her tour. She gets to the podium, and, before she can launch into her stump speech, a Teabagger interrupts the whole event to ask her about the Occupy Wall Street movement. The crowd, annoyed that someone would rudely interrupt Warren's comments, groans and wants the guy to shut up. But Warren quiets the crowd and urges them to let the Teabagger speak:
The crowd tried to shout the man down, but Warren told her supporters to let him speak. "No, no, it's alright. Let me say two things," she said. "I'm very sorry that you've been out of work. I'm also very sorry that the recent jobs bill that would've brought 22,000 jobs to Massachusetts did not pass in the Senate."
So Warren is not just unflappable but also quite magnanimous to someone who very rudely tries to hijack the proceedings.
But that's not where the story ends. The Teabagger decides to up the rhetorical ante with some well-thought-out and mature comments that some RMGers would probably applaud:
"Well, if you're the intellectual creator of that so-called party," he said, "you're a socialist whore. I don't want anything to do with you." The crowd shouted him down as he added that Warren's "boss," presumably referring to the president, was "foreign-born." He then attempted to storm out through a side door. Finding it locked, he retreated out the back of the VFW hall instead.
Here's the video:
So that's the level of rhetoric of Tea Party-sympathetic conservatives and - ostensibly - Scott Brown supporters or at least Warren opponents. "Socialist whore." And that's not a far cry from language users here on Red Mass Group have routinely used to describe Warren already. (Maybe the heckler happens to also be a Red Mass Group denizen.) I wonder if Scott Brown and the rest of Team Plagiarist (including Mr. CrazyKhazei and Mr. QueenElizabethWarren) would agree with that designation of Warren as a "socialist whore".
In a final display of grace and unflappability, before proceeding with her planned stump speech comments, she noted:
Warren took the challenge in stride. "So, we are here to do work, and I think we have a reminder that we have a lot of work to do," she said as the heckler struggled with the door.
(I will admit that I found it pretty hilarious that the immature Teabagger couldn't work the doors.)
Perhaps this is what the Massachusetts Republican Party so desperately and flailingly meant by "throwing rocks."
Elizabeth Warren, the self-professed ideological architect of the Occupy Movement, alleged champion of the middle class, and now... campaign contribution recipient of crony-capitalist, off-shoring, fleecer-in-chief of the American Republic, General Electric and its lobbyists.
When she spoke of everyone paying their "fair share" of taxes to protect us from the "marauding bands" of the fruited plain, she apparently was just referring to the rubes in small business that aren't as sophisticated(or unethical) enough to shirk off their responsibility to pay taxes.
Yes, Elizabeth Warren can now count herself as a campaign recipient of General Electric's legion of lobbyists. A company so entrenched with insider Washington that they have figured out a way to not pay any taxes despite their 'moving of goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for, and hiring workers the rest of us paid to educate'. GE the very epitome of everything that is wrong with the US tax code and of a big government too cozy with big business.
GE already owns half of Washington, do they really need another Senator?
Following the "CrazyKhazei" scandal in which one of Scott Brown's right hand men was caught engaging in childish dirty campaigning, Scott Brown said:
US Senator Scott Brown said yesterday that he was unaware a top adviser was mocking a potential political rival under a false Twitter account, but Brown added that he has "made clear to everyone on or associated with my team that this type of thing is not to happen again."
"...this type of thing is not to happen again." Or else what? Well, we may find out. That report from the link was released on August 26, 2011. Given that Brown made those comments "yesterday" according to the report, Brown must have told Team Plagiarist on August 25, 2011, that "this type of thing is not to happen again."
Well, bad news for Scott Brown and Team Plagiarist. This type of thing happened again - the very next day! The Globe reports:
Scott Brown's campaign acknowledged tonight that one of its consultants, Rob Willington, had registered the domain name QueenElizabethWarren.com. The campaign has not put the website to use and would not say whether it planned to do so in the future or comment further on the matter.
Childish? Check. Dirty campaigning? Check. And, as the Globe mentions, the story was broken by Blue Mass Group:
David's post about Scott Brown's comments regarding "CrazyKhazei" (Scott Brown still playing the victim on CrazyKhazei) served as a reminder to go check if Scott Brown's consultants had created anymore Mass Senate related websites. I did a search through my Whois.sc account, and it showed me that QueenElizabethWarren.com had been registered on August 26, 2011 through 1&1 Internet, Inc.
Registered on August 26, 2011. Hmmmm, engaging in childish dirty campaigning on August 26. But what was it again that Scott Brown said on August 25 to his Team Plagiarist staff? Oh, right:
Brown added that he has "made clear to everyone on or associated with my team that this type of thing is not to happen again."
Well, it happened again. Rob Willington did it. So, now Scott Brown has to finish the sentence "This type of thing is not to happen again or else ________." Is Scott Brown going to fire Rob Willington? Or will he find a way to sweep it under the rug and demonstrate a lack of principle when it comes to dirty campaigning on behalf of his Team Plagiarist? It's been over a month. Anybody know if Rob Willington was given a pass by Scott Brown on his childish dirty campaigning?
Elizabeth Warren's surge in the polls and surge in fundraising has Scott Brown's Team Plagiarist awfully spooked. To step up to the challenge of facing a popular Elizabeth Warren who's backed by an army of small-dollar grassroots donors, Scott Brown has already started throwing big bucks at slash-and-burn political consultants. On that topic:
But the Warren surge may explain why Brown is spending money on consultants who practice a bareknuckle brand of politics.
The biggest payout involved more than $46,000 to the robocall firm FLS Connect. That company was linked to a smear campaign on behalf of George W. Bush against Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2000. It was also tied to calls on behalf of McCain connecting Barack Obama to terrorists in 2008.
FLS-CONNECT LINKED TO SLANDEROUS ANTI-McCAIN ROBOCALLS IN 2000 SOUTH CAROLINA GOP PRIMARY
McCain Was Target Of "One Of The Most Notorious Smear Campaigns" In 2000 South Carolina Primary. According to the New York Times: "In the 2000 South Carolina primary, one of the most notorious smear campaigns in recent American politics peddled distortions and lies about him, among them that Mr. McCain´s current wife, Cindy, was a drug addict and that the couple´s daughter Bridget, adopted from Mother Teresa´s orphanage in Bangladesh, was a black child Mr. McCain had fathered out of wedlock." [New York Times, 1/17/08]
When you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas. In a fit of panic over Elizabeth Warren, Scott Brown has chosen to cast his lot with a firm that practices the most disgusting, the most dishonest, the most shameful brand of divisive politics.
Elizabeth Warren and her team might not have many fans on Red Mass Group; but, as far as I can tell, no one on Team Warren ever lied and race-baited about John McCain's adopted Bangladeshi daughter being a black child fathered out of wedlock. But that firm is the newest member of Scott Brown's Team Plagiarist. Psyched for 2012?
What's the word when one person copies another person's words without attribution? Oh, right: plagiarism:
In a message to students, the Massachusetts senator uses the exact words as remarks delivered by the former North Carolina senator at her campaign kickoff in 2002.
Brown's staff acknowledged yesterday the words originally were Dole's and said their presence in Brown's message was the result of a technical error.
A technical error? Since when is plagiarism a technical error? Scott Brown is becoming the lame excuse Senator. His right-hand man creates a dummy Twitter account to espouse inflammatory rhetoric? It's just "inserting levity." He votes against a Job bill literally chock full of Republican proposals? It's not "bipartisan." And now Scott Brown is caught plagiarizing - and it's a technical error. No big deal Nothing to see here!
And it wasn't just a simple accident - Scott Brown attentively left off Dole's biographical info from the passage:
Aside from the omission of an opening line -- "I am Mary and John Hanford's daughter" -- in Dole's speech, the Bay State Republican's language is the same throughout.
Given Brown's comfort with plagiarism, it's fair to ask the question, "How much of Brown's book Against All Odds is plagiarized?" Odds are, not more than a few passage, if any, are plagiarized. But who knows?
When then-Senator Joe Biden was accused of plagiarizing a passage in his 1988 Presidential campaign stump speech (which, fact is, wasn't plagiarism - he routinely credited the passage and forgot one time and was slimed with the plagiarism label), he withdrew from the 1988 Presidential campaign.
Will Scott Brown, having been caught for plagiarism here, do the decent thing and withdraw from his 2012 campaign for U.S. Senate? Will he resign from his seat? Probably not. Just business as usual for the Lame Excuses Senator.
UPDATE: In a totally expected but nonetheless shockingly cowardly display, Scott Brown relies on the old Washington D.C. trick: "Blame the intern!" Said Brown:
It was a summer intern that put together the site, we corrected it once we found out
It goes on:
Brown did not say whether he had ever seen the pasage [sic] on his website or whether he previewed the lifted words before they were posted in his name. The passage, which was directed to students visiting his site, was the sort of political autobiography that is meant to inspire. ...
Brown said today that a young intern launched the site when his office had "very little time and resources to put things up." ...
He scoffed at the notion that further investigation was needed into how the text ended up on his site.
What a courageous leader Scott Brown is. Blaming the lowly summer intern! Any other staffers or volunteers he'd like to throw under the bus while he's at it? It's the intern! It's the lack of time and resources! Please don't investigate! Scott Brown is wearing out the victim card and demonstrating great political cowardice and a lack of responsibility in the process.
Scott Brown claims to believe that Jobs are issue #1.
The big jobs bill comes to floor of the U.S. Senate. 50 U.S. Senators vote yes, and 48 U.S. Senators vote no (in addition to Senate Majority Leader Reid who had to vote Nay for procedural reasons). So, of course, it fails - despite getting 50 Yea votes - because the obstructionist Republican caucus in the U.S. Senate, fully supported by Scott Brown, filibusters everything that moves.
U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has voted against President Obama's $447 billion jobs bill, saying lawmakers should instead be crafting a bipartisan measure.
A "bipartisan" measure? A "bipartisan" measure?!?!
The Jobs bill was as bipartisan as legislation got. What were some of its provisions? Let's ask President Obama:
I am sending this Congress a plan that you should pass right away. It's called the American Jobs Act. There should be nothing controversial about this piece of legislation. Everything in here is the kind of proposal that's been supported by both Democrats and Republicans -- including many who sit here tonight. And everything in this bill will be paid for. Everything.
It will provide -- it will provide a tax break for companies who hire new workers, and it will cut payroll taxes in half for every working American and every small business.
Pass this jobs bill -- pass this jobs bill, and starting tomorrow, small businesses will get a tax cut if they hire new workers or if they raise workers' wages. Pass this jobs bill, and all small business owners will also see their payroll taxes cut in half next year.
It's not just Democrats who have supported this kind of proposal. Fifty House Republicans have proposed the same payroll tax cut that's in this plan.
No more earmarks. No more boondoggles. No more bridges to nowhere. We're cutting the red tape that prevents some of these projects from getting started as quickly as possible. And we'll set up an independent fund to attract private dollars and issue loans based on two criteria: how badly a construction project is needed and how much good it will do for the economy.
This idea came from a bill written by a Texas Republican and a Massachusetts Democrat. The idea for a big boost in construction is supported by America's largest business organization and America's largest labor organization. It's the kind of proposal that's been supported in the past by Democrats and Republicans alike.
Pass this jobs bill, and companies will get extra tax credits if they hire America's veterans.
Pass this jobs bill, and companies will get a $4,000 tax credit if they hire anyone who has spent more than six months looking for a job. (Applause.) We have to do more to help the long-term unemployed in their search for work. This jobs plan builds on a program in Georgia that several Republican leaders have highlighted, where people who collect unemployment insurance participate in temporary work as a way to build their skills while they look for a permanent job.
Pass this jobs bill, and the typical working family will get a $1,500 tax cut next year. Fifteen hundred dollars that would have been taken out of your pocket will go into your pocket. This expands on the tax cut that Democrats and Republicans already passed for this year. If we allow that tax cut to expire -- if we refuse to act -- middle-class families will get hit with a tax increase at the worst possible time. We can't let that happen. I know that some of you have sworn oaths to never raise any taxes on anyone for as long as you live. Now is not the time to carve out an exception and raise middle-class taxes, which is why you should pass this bill right away.
Tax breaks. Cut payroll taxes. Tax cuts for hiring new workers. Tax cuts for hiring veterans. 50 House Republicans proposed part of the bill. A Texas Republican proposed another part. Georgia Republicans led on another part. No earmarks. Cutting red tape. Attracting private dollars. Expanding existing tax cuts.
That's what was in this bill; and, it was all paid for.
That's what Scott Brown just voted AGAINST.
Because it wasn't "bipartisan."
That's Scott Brown's record now; and, he'll be hearing about it for a while.
FREEZIN' FOR A REASON: Big crowd today for Scott Brown office opening in Southie. Despite a pretty significant snow storm and cold weather, people still made it out to support OUR Senator. While I understand this was a campaign event, I cannot remember any Member of Congress from Massachusetts ever attending more events, being more accessible, and working as hard to reach out to people. Part of it is necessity, but I still appreciate it and I can tell that Scott likes to do it. A big hearty "Go Patriots" from him at the end, too. Unlike John Kerry and most Massachusetts politicians, you get the sense that he meant it. Scott is the type of guy I can imagine seeing at a tailgate, and that's pretty awesome.
Well the Occupy-set and their 
Elizabeth Warren, the self-professed ideological architect of the Occupy Movement, alleged champion of the middle class, and now... campaign contribution 