Patrick Kennedy: Scott Brown's candidacy 'a joke'

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/79863-patrick-kennedy-scott-browns-candidacy-a-joke


Patrick Kennedy: Scott Brown's candidacy 'a joke'
By Michael O'Brien and Jordy Yager - 02/04/10 05:07 PM ET


Sen. Scott Brown's (R-Mass.) election has been shown to be "a joke," the son of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) said Thursday.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) castigated Brown for having pushed to be sworn in ahead of schedule to permanently fill the Senate seat left vacant by the congressman's father's death in August.

"Brown's whole candidacy was shown to be a joke today when he was sworn in early in order to cast his first vote as an objection to Obama's appointment to the NLRB," Kennedy said Thursday.

Kennedy was referencing some Democrats' thoughts that Brown tried to bump up his swearing-in in order to give Republicans 41 votes, enough to filibuster the nomination of Craig Becker, a controversial nominee to join the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

"Seven out of ten of Brown's voters were labor households and he stressed that he was independent and while he was originally scheduled to be sworn in next week, they moved it up to today so he could cast his first vote, the most anti-labor, the most anti-what his constituents thought they were voting for when they voted for him," Kennedy said.

Brown, for his part, has denied trying to move up his nomination to block Becker's nomination.

"This is where he shows that when they need him, he's in the tank for the Republicans," Kennedy said.

[Jennicut]

1. He is no independent Senator, he is a Rethug puppet.

Mass got a rotten egg but people learn...

[Winterblues]

8. but people learn...

I would not bet the farm on that statement. If it were true a Republican would not be able to buy a vote in this country..Yet Brown gets elected...go figure..:shrug:

[Jennicut]

12. New England occasionally turns to so called moderate Rethugs and then

people here realize their mistakes. I have seen it numerous times.

[Chipper Chat]

28. Der Mittens?

"Look at me. Can you say 'Moderate'"
http://www3.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Senator+John+McCain+GOP+Chairman+Michael+Steele+2rUl9s28xaUm.jpg

[WI_DEM]

2. Well I just hope the commonwealth can nominate a strong candidate next time

who will actually campaign like she's behind instead of being crowned.

[pipi_k]

14. Well, the problem there is...

there has to be a strong candidate actually running.

I wasn't particularly impressed with any of the Democratic candidates, to be honest.


But I do agree with your statement that whomever is chosen cannot assume s/he will win just because s/he is a Democrat in a Blue state. Never take anything for granted...here or anywhere else...

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. Yeah, it's an "Emperor's New Clothes" moment for sure...

...because the media is doing its best to dazzle the unwashed masses with Brown's manly manliness and his big, powerful pickup truck.

He's the Boy Palin the GOP dreamed of ever since they hatched the Girl Palin. Like salt and pepper shakers, they're a matched set.

[AndyA]

4. Well, the people who voted for Brown thinking he'd represent their interests were just stupid.

If they're angry at the Dems, that's fine. I still say it took Bush/Republicans 8 years to screw things up royally, and it's going to take longer than a year to fix them, especially with the Republicans BLOCKING everything.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different outcome each time. So...you're going to elect more Republicans to fix the problems the Republicans created and expect them to implement the fixes that the Republicans are blocking?

INSANITY, folks.

Anyone who supported Kennedy in the past and thought that Mr. Treasure Trail would represent their interests probably is too stupid to vote, and will likely suffer because of that vote, along with all the others who were smart enough to see through all the crap and vote for the progressive lady who wasn't such a great campaigner, but would likely do a hell of a lot better in Washington.

[wisteria]

16. Some people voted for him to get back at Democrats who didn't push all the HCR they wanted. n/t

[NOLALady]

22. I do hope

some of the people who voted for him are satisfied with their choice. If they feel that getting back at the Democrats was worth it, then so be it.

[iceman66]

25. So they elect someone to push for even less health care!

Sure, that makes sense!

[iceman66]

24. +1000!

[Vogon_Glory]

5. Massachusetts' Don Yarborough Moment

Down here in Bubbaland we had a politician named Don Yarborough, who got elected because voters confused him with another, more famous, PROGRESSIVE fellow with the same name. The electorate made a mistake.

You all elected Scott Brown as a reaction to local corruption, a wishy-washy national recovery plan, and a truly lame campaign by the Democratic candidate. But you're stuck with him until 2012, and Scott Brown has all the rights, privileges, and POWER of a US senator.

If you want to help the voters wise up, the time to start is right now. After Brown is sworn in, he's got a voting record, whether he votes straight hard-right, abstains, or has a Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus conversion and becomes a progressive. Start tabulating and keep video for later.

:dem:

[slackmaster]

6. Consider it a joke at your own risk

:nuke:

[Warren Stupidity]

30. We are going to be snickering at the new right as they march into the white house.

I am amazed at the arrogance on display here regarding what is now a coherent well funded and well directed manufactured hard right political movement.

[JackintheGreen]

7. Can't we wait for his vote first?

Maybe he'll surprise us.

[AlinPA]

10. When he gets his marching orders from Limbaugh, there will be no surprises. nt

[quiet.american]

13. "I'll be the 41st vote, not the 60th vote," Brown said. Surprise. nt

"I'll be the 41st vote, not the 60th vote," Brown said at a brief press conference following his oath of office Thursday night."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/04/scott-brown-ill-be-the-41_n_450304.html

[wisteria]

17. Wishful thinking. He moved up his swearing in because he was being critcized by RW talk radio

in Massachusetts. Who do you think he will be getting his orders from?

[JackintheGreen]

18. What? Did I forget my irony smiley?

Oh...I see that I did.

[The Gunslinger]

31. No he won't. he's a republican

[erpowers]

9. Blame Reid

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has to share part of the blame for Brown being sworn in early. I do not think Reid had to seat Brown ahead of schedule. Reid should have just had the courage to tell Brown and his Republican collegues to shove it up their butts and wait for Brown to be sworn in on the regular schedule. If the Republicans complained Reid should have just told them, the media, and the American people that the Senate runs on a schedule and he was not going to break that schedule just to give Brown and the Republicans what they wanted.

I am not trying to say that Scott Brown did not mislead the voters of Massacheutts. I am well aware that Brown mislead the voters of Massachettus on many levels. A number of the things Brown said or hinted to were false. However, my point is that Reid could have done something to prevent Brown from being sworn in early.

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. It's wasn't Reid's decision

It was the MA Governor and MA Secretary of State. They expedited the election certification process.

[karynnj]

23. It would have been a pr nightmare to do otherwise

You would have had Brown, with his certificate, on every talk show speaking of how the Democrats were cheating. As it it, he made the Democrats seem in the wrong - even though they changed schedules to do it when they did.

[AllentownJake]

11. He won

It is the cruelest form of jokes.

[wisteria]

15. I think Kennedy is right and Brown should be challenged every time he votes against the interests

of the people of Massachusetts and with the rubber stamp Republicans. I think he feels he can get away with screwing the electorate.

[Blue Owl]

20. this joke isn't funny anymore

n/t

[opihimoimoi]

21. Yup,, The quintessential BAIT n SWITCH candidate...show whats good for votes then change to PUB when...

elected.

A sign of DECEPTION and Skulduggery

The Mass Voters got robbed....the man might have Hunk Looks but he got a heart of PUNK

[The_Casual_Observer]

26. Brown is a god damn tea bag ultra right-wing reactionary bastard

that pretended to be an "independent thinker" to get in there. He's a fucking trojan horse bastard.

[invictus]

27. A joke? The guy won without his daddy's name, money, and connections. Some joke

[stray cat]

29. he won!

[spanone]

32. it was a joke and the democrats couldn't beat him??....depressing as hell