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Scott Brown: Is The Honeymoon Over?

Rachel Slajda | February 24, 2010, 12:36PM

Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA)

Bipartisanship, Jobs, Scott Brown

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That didn't take long. Just weeks after Sen. Scott Brown's (R-MA) victory was heralded as the first shot in a Republican revolution, with Brown himself signing "41" after his name, the magic vanished. On Monday, Brown voted yes on a procedural motion on the Democrats' jobs bill -- and many of his supporters turned against him.

Christen Varley, for example, the president of the Greater Boston Tea Party who a month ago took credit for Brown's win, plans to give the senator a piece of her mind.

"He's going to hear from us," Varley told the Boston Herald. "In the end, this is stimulus spending -- and it's a disappointment."

Just last month, Varley said her group had sent 150 people to a Brown fund-raiser during his campaign. "I spent the next two days saying, if you like Scott Brown, go out and spread the word,'' Varley said. "That's what they did. And it exploded.''

His grassroots supporters aren't pleased either. A sampling of comments on his Facebook page:

"What a disappointment! You're just like all the other guys in Washington but with a prettier face. Time to UN friend you," writes Marty Biland.

"Senator Brown! How can you claim to be fiscally responsible and vote for another stimulus bill? sorry..'job' bill? You are showing your true colors. You are a liar! I've contributed to your campaign. I will not be so generous in two years!" says Stella Moroz.

But Brown's Republican colleagues, even some of the most conservative, are less critical -- perhaps because they have experience working with Republicans from the more liberal Northeast.

"I do not expect him to vote with me or anyone the whole time," said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC). "We're happy to have him."

Brown's office is already running damage control, releasing a statement this morning that says, in part, "We need to put partisanship aside to put people back to work."

Notably, Brown also says, "if [the bill] comes back to the Senate full of pork, waste, fraud and abuse, I reserve the right to vote against it."

Many of the comments are on Brown's original statement on his jobs bill vote:

"I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside, and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families," he said in part. "This Senate jobs bill is not perfect. I wish the tax cuts were deeper and broader, but I am voting for it because it contains measures that will help put people back to work."

Glenn Beck piled on last night, calling out, not exactly Brown, but those who expected him to be the "savior of the universe."

"Some tea party members probably woke up this morning and threw up just a little bit in their mouths when they read the news," Beck said. "'We took him in, we helped him get a victory, and now this?'"

"He's a Massachusetts conservative," Beck said. "So why all the shock and the outrage after he votes for a spending bill?"

To be sure, there are plenty of comments lauding Brown for being an "independent voice," and it's likely many of the comments on both sides are from Brown opponents.

But Brown had never promised to be the GOP's cloture-proof vote against every Democratic effort. He repeatedly portrayed himself as an independent, an outsider. And his staff is continuing to push that image of the new senator.

They sent reporters, for example, a Boston Globe editorial lauding Brown's vote, saying he chose the "nobler task" of ending Senate gridlock, instead of opposing Democratic initiatives automatically.

It might not be enough. One last comment from Facebook:

"Benedict Brown. All talk, no guts."

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54 comments

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Matt Jones

February 24, 2010 12:53 PM

Apparently, the teabaggers don't really want to elect a senator - just somebody to tape down the "no" vote button at a Senate desk. Not sure how one reaches a "bipartisan consensus" with that.

FFS, it was almost entirely a TAX CUTS bill. Isn't that what they *wanted*? At this point, they'd probably get bent out of shape if the Democrats introduced a bill to canonize St. Ronnie and Brown voted for it.

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Scott Brown: Is The Honeymoon Over?

Rachel Slajda | February 24, 2010, 12:36PM

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