doing a poor job. I just used google news and apparently, this was not important enough to write about. In addition, I don't think any of the MA papers covered Brown's praise of the Ryan budget - link to what Brown said -
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/scott-brown-praises-paul-ryan-says-everything-is-on-the-table-for-medicare.phpWhat they do cover is a poll that shows that 55% say he should be re-elected. As to what he does, the papers have the following theme - he is independent, thoughtful and he reads the bills. (Forget that there are NO thoughtful comments from him on any issue. As to the idea that he is the only Senator to actually read the bills, why is he never able to speak in detail about any of them. ) As a person, he is like everyone and is in touch with everyone. (Even though it was the Senior Senator who actually had two town halls where he answered unvetted questions - where Brown refuses to even answer reporters.
Here is a recent example, in a recent speech, Brown rambled off topic and complained about there not being enough bipartisanship for a few minutes - and here is the elaborate story on it:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2011/04/02/brown_walking_fine_line_on_budget_cuts/ Here is that speech (which is oddly no longer available on CSPAN -
r. BROWN of Massachusetts. Mr. President, I enjoyed the previous speaker's presentation. I come to the floor to talk about the ongoing negotiations between the White House, Speaker Boehner, and my colleagues in the Senate regarding the appropriations for the current fiscal year.
Since the beginning of the 112th Congress, the House and Senate have been trying to find common ground to finish the appropriations for fiscal year 2011. Instead of reaching a long-term compromise, we passed no fewer than six short-term continuing resolutions.
Not only does that disrupt our military men and women who are trying to serve but also every other facet of government and people's lives throughout this country. The funding resolutions that provide little in the way of addressing our staggering deficit have little certainty with our trading partners and absolutely no certainty whatsoever to the world market in terms of our ability to manage our Nation's finances.
Sadly, rather than reaching a workable, bipartisan solution, responsibly addressing our staggering deficit, which is expected to reach $1.5 trillion this fiscal year, our leaders have repeatedly given us false choices between continuing resolution proposals that don't go far enough to reduce Federal spending and proposals that I believe establish the wrong priorities for me and my State and many other people as well throughout this Chamber.
I believe many of the choices that were made disproportionately affect low-income families and seniors. One of my Senate colleagues, if you remember, characterized this process as a ``Hobson's choice.'' I agree. The world right now is looking for two things--the world markets, financial markets--and the people who invest in this country are looking for two things. They want us to do a lean and mean budget, get our fiscal and financial priorities in line now. They are also looking for us to tackle entitlements, whether it is military, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, et cetera. Then they will know that, in fact, they can invest here.
When they invest, the money will be safe and they are actually going to get a good return. When Pimco doesn't even do more bonding with America, that is a sign. When we have other countries throughout the world being downgraded by the bonding services, it is a problem. We are in this financial kind of roll to negativity. We have to get our fiscal and financial house in order right away.
I have been absolutely disappointed, and I know everybody listening in the gallery and those watching today have been absolutely disappointed by the pace of negotiations between the two Chambers. We have had FAA legislation. I want to fly in a safe plane. I get that. We have done the patent bill, and I want safe drugs and everything. I get that. We are on the small business bill now, and the Senator before me spoke--I am on the committee. I am happy to do it, and I get it. But are you kidding me? We are in the biggest financial mess we have ever been in, and we are doing everything but dealing with the financial mess.
Here we are with over a $14 trillion debt. For people listening, when I came here, we had an $11.5 trillion national debt. Now it is over $14.3 trillion and counting. The deficit, unfortunately--despite passing six different CRs and an understanding that passing it would move our negotiations further along, we are once again faced with the likelihood of a government shutdown.
I never, ever thought I would be a Senator from Massachusetts and come here and say: Oh, my gosh, I was here when they shut down the government. What do I tell the staff and the people back home? I am not going to participate in that. I am going to be a problem solver. If you are liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat--I don't care what your party is--I am going to find solutions to try to avoid any type of government shutdown. I don't want one. Nobody I am talking to wants one.
We have to get these negotiations in perspective. We have to actually express to our leaders, as I just did, that, hey, we are concerned. I want to make sure we tackle these issues.
While the Federal budget is only a small part, gosh, I can't tell you--and Senator Carper is here. How many times have we been in committee hearings and they are talking about wasting billions and billions of dollars--$76 billion just through one program that we are attacking.
I was in the military budget hearing the other day. It is $104 billion over budget for one weapon system. Are you kidding me? Really? It is phenomenal.
We are debating cutting, I guess, $61 billion, give or take, but we don't have a problem with going over budget $100-plus billion in various programs and wasting billions of other dollars. So, on one hand, we are fighting about a small, minute part of what we are doing, and on the other hand, we are giving away the money.
There was just a report that came out that said we are wasting billions of dollars on duplication. Executive order No. 1: Let's fix it so we don't have to worry about that, and that money we save can be used for seniors, kids, Pell grants, and all of the things people are fighting about right now. I will say, however, a government shutdown absolutely serves no purpose and is in nobody's best interest--not our country's, not the workers', and it is not in the global economy's best interest.
I, for one, stand ready to work with any Senator or any Congressman or member of the administration who wants to get together and solve these very real problems. However, I am encouraged about the recent developments in the negotiations, which was the news breaking yesterday that a possible deal is close. That is great. They are talking about $33 billion. I just cited $104 billion in one military program. In Medicare, $76 billion goes out every year just because--I am happy doing it, but the world is looking for that fix, the lean and mean budget, but also for us to get entitlement reform, eliminate the waste and abuse--commonsense things that every person in this Chamber and everybody listening does in their homes and businesses.
Why can't we treat the Federal Government like a business for once? This makes no sense to me. I am not the new guy anymore. You are the new guy, Mr. President. Congratulations for being the Presiding Officer today. Being the new guy, I hope you agree with me that we have to kind of work together--and we have tried to do that, you and I, Senator Carper, and others--to try to find that common ground. I think we agree on the number. It is just a question of do we tackle it here or there.
I am from the approach of let's do a little of everything and satisfy every special interest and political interest and just get the problem solved. It will take real choices, tough choices right now. Everybody listening now absolutely understands that everything is on the table. We have to be fair and judicious in our cuts . How do we go from A to Z overnight? There is no transition period or no consideration for jobs, and, actually, the safety of people in some of these cuts .
I stand ready to work with each of you to do what it takes and put politics aside. Listen, is there an election this year? I don't think so, because I am looking at 2011 right now--2011, as the one year, the one chance we have to actually solve problems, folks. In 2012, we can do whatever we do in the political season. I get it. For right now, we have a great opportunity to send a message to all those folks who say Washington is broken. In Washington, it is like, you are great, you are great, everybody is great. Senator Carper is great. He is one of my best friends here. But, listen, outside Washington, they have no clue what we are doing. They don't trust us or think we are addressing the real problems that affect our great country.
Our collective work begins by having a clear understanding of the seriousness of our budget concerns. I know we have had bipartisan meetings. I am so encouraged, as a relatively new Member, that we have had about 60, 65 people come together to hear the number. Is it fact, fiction, or real? What is it?
We agree we are in trouble. So why aren't all the leaders of this great country--and there is plenty of blame to go around--getting together and seriously letting us know what the priorities are? Why doesn't the President call my office, or anybody else, and say: Scott, these are my priorities. I challenge you to work with me to get them done.
What are his priorities for cuts ? Does anybody up there know? I don't know. If he called you or me, I know we would give him the respect the office deserves, and we would go out and say: I will work with my colleagues, Mr. President, or Mr. Leader, or Mr. Minority Leader, and we will find those common things we can do. We can start with the report that just came out and eliminate all that duplication. In some instances, I think it was 26 agencies doing the same thing. Are you kidding me?
I believe the responsibility we have been given is huge. Look at these young people. A lot of them came to the charity basketball game we had last night. It was so exciting to see their faces. They are excited to be here. Every one of them is saying: Oh, my gosh, I have been in the Senate, working for these people. We look up to them, and we expect them to do better and be better. They challenge us on a daily basis just by those bright eyes, the fact they are out back studying when they have a few minutes--some more than others, I might add--and they are looking for us to solve problems. It is really not even them we are worried about; it is their great-grandchildren.
If we do nothing--is that what you want us to do, folks, nothing? I am not going to be part of the do-nothing caucus. I am going to look to find commonsense solutions and work toward commonsense goals, regardless of the outcome. If I lose, whatever, but I will have played a role in history. Right now, at this time, we need to make a difference, a change.
I am so hopeful and I am an optimist. I believe we can do it better. I believe we have an opportunity to do it better right now. With our leadership and that of the other Senators who are going to be here soon, we can get together and solve the problems. We can battle in 2012. The country is looking at us now to make a difference. I hope we will find the ability to do so. If we don't, then we will have missed a great opportunity to solve problems.
Thank you. I appreciate the Chair's patience and his occasional smirks.
I yield the floor.
Whiney egomaniac anyone??
(I tried to get the CSPAN video, but this speech is no included if you search for Brown and after getting it from the Congressional record and thus knowing the date, I went to the date on CSPAN - and Brown's time is allocated there but if you click you get a screen that says it can't be viewed or bought.
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/clip.php?appid=599766830 )
This rambling - PREPARED - speech has no ideas and no proposals, yet the "liberal" Boston Globe and other MA media covered it as an important speech. Sadly, they gave no coverage to the far more influential Senator's earlier speech - maybe because it blasts the values behind the Republican CR budget and included the point that the deficit is record high not just because spending is record high, but because taxes (revenue) are at a historically low point. Kerry's speech is an incredible statement on the values behind the cuts.
link to Kerry's speech -
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/SenateSessionPart135&start=6326 and continuing on
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/SenateSessionPart135&start=7744Then there was the game Brown played with funding planned parenthood - he voted for the House budget that did that, then had his office give the papers a statement saying it was on planned parenthood saying he was against the cuts ---- while RW sites were saying that it was about title X funds, but not specifically PP. Can you imagine what the papers would do to ANY other politician taking two opposing positions at the same time.
I apologize for this rant. I am not from MA, but follow MA papers like everyone in the JK group does. If the BG had ever treated JK as they do Brown - he likely would be President.
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