http://action.afa.net/Blogs/BlogPost.aspx?id=2147492138Elijah Friedeman, the Millennial Perspective
A final blow to all the people who had visions of Brown running for president and winning GOP nomination in 2012. It's just not going to happen.
Scott Brown has decided to buck the conservative brand and vote for Harry Reid's $15 billion jobs bill.
A modest job-creation bill advanced in the U.S. Senate on Monday as the chamber's newest Republican bucked his party and sided with Democrats on a $15 billion package of tax cuts and highway spending.
Republican Scott Brown joined four other Republicans, 55 Democrats and two independents to overcome a procedural hurdle that sets up a final vote later this week.
Brown said the bill was not perfect but would help put people back to work.
"I hope my vote today is a strong step toward restoring bipartisanship in Washington," he said in a statement.
The bill includes a tax credit for businesses that hire unemployed workers, subsidies for state and local construction bonds and $19.5 billion to shore up a highway-construction fund.
At this point Brown has to worry about his reelection battle in Massachusetts. Just because he managed to pull off the upset against a weak opponent, doesn't mean that he will handily win next election. And if Brown votes with the Republicans on every vote, he can just kiss goodbye any hopes of being elected again.
So reluctantly, I'm not going to begrudge this vote too much, especially since a Brown vote against the measure wouldn't have change the outcome.