Politico credits Kerry with last minute lobbying Collins on jobs bill

[karynnj]

"The vote was not a sure thing until the very end, as Democrats continued their hard sell right on the Senate floor. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) had an energetic conversation with Collins just minutes before she voted, which he then reported back to Reid. As soon as Kerry walked away, Collins was immediately visited by Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Republican leader Mitch McConnell."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/33311.html

[wisteria]

1. Thank you for finding this. It appears Senator Kerry was an enthusiastic supporter of this bill. n/t

[karynnj]

2. The NYT said he and Brown both spoke in the Senate, but CSPAN doesn't have video yet-

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/with-g-o-p-help-senate-advances-jobs-bill/

[MBS]

3. I keep remembering the remark of a commentator

who , a few years ago (2004?2005?2006?), called Sen. Kerry "the most underrated politician in America." That remark just keeps feeling true to me. . . and this little anecdote adds to its credibility.

As Tay, I think, mentioned in one of her recent sermons to us : ), the very fact that JK has lasted as long in MA politics as he as, despite the fact that he's both an outsider (in terms of local incestuous Dem tribal-type sensibilities ) and a reformer, says as much about his political skills as it does about his integrity, commitment, and guts.

[Mass]

4. The fawning over Brown is driving me crazy. It is bad enough that the media

think he is the greatest thing ever and write puff pieces after puff pieces, but how many threads on DU on how he voted. Cant they get that this is political expediency of the best way: he needs a few moderate votes for 2012 and this one is an easy one. He is not going to be the next Specter.