Scott Brown Snubs Sarah Palin, Bags Tea Party Rally

[No Elephants]

Source: Boston Herald

Scott Brown snubs Sarah Palin, bags Tea Party rally
By Edward Mason
Monday, April 12, 2010 - Updated 5h ago

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, whose stunning victory in January was fueled in part by Tea Party anger, has snubbed the fiery grassroots group and declined its invitation to join Sarah Palin Wednesday at a massive rally on Boston Common, the Herald has learned.

Brown’s decision to skip the first big rally in Boston by the group whose members are credited with helping him win election has some experts saying he’s tossed the Tea Party overboard, as he prepares for re-election in 2012.

“He wants to mainstream himself before the election,” said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist.

Brown, who took heat for the alleged misbehavior of some of his supporters at campaign events, may be trying to distance himself from what could be a volatile event, said political analyst Lou DiNatale.

Read more: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100412scott_brown_snubs_palin_bags_tea_party_rally/srvc=home&position=0

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First, heads up: the Herald is right wing. Lots more at link, though.

Couple of points on Brown:

When running for Kennedy's seat, Brown billed himself as independent. Baloney. In the state senate, he voted with the Republican Party almost 100% of the time..

When running for Senator Kennedy's seat, Brown was asked about the Tea Party/Bag movemment. He said he never heard of it. However, it turned out that he had attended (or was it spoke at?) a Tea/Bag Party rally in Worcester in 2009.

As soon as he won Senator Kennedy's seat, many called to congratulate him. When he named them for media, though, he "forgot" to mention Sarah Palin's call, until people asked him about her.

Liar, liar, pants on fire. (Just occurred to me: Maybe that's why he posed nude?)

[Syrinx]

1. he may be vote 60 to get the nominee through

Pamela Karlan, I hope.

[progressoid]

19. Don't need him.

Just a simple majority for SC nominees.

[pattmarty]

20. I think you may be wrong. Remember the "gang of 14" at the time..........

............of Bush's nominees? The Republicans were demanding an "up or down" vote. I believe you need 60.

[nyy1998]

21. You're right

I think this where Brown coming from Massachusetts actually hurts him. He HAS to be a legitimate moderate, otherwise he'll be gone in 2012.

[pattmarty]

22. totally agree with that. No matter what he does, I think he'll be gone.

[progressoid]

23. True, for cloture.

But the final vote only needs 51.

I suppose I'm being uncharacteristically optimistic that this one (whomever it is) will also make it to a vote. IIRC, the gang of 14 ultimately didn't matter for Alito's vote.

Hell, even Clarence Thomas made it through the process. I don't think our standards are all that high.

[quiet.american]

24. Don't bet on it: Scott Brown: ""I'll be the 41st vote, not the 60th vote."

Less than an hour after Scott Brown was sworn in as the Republican junior senator from Massachusetts, he made it clear where he stands on bipartisan compromise.

"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

[AlinPA]

25. Doubtful he would vote for cloture on a SC nominee. Republicans and teabaggers would go berserk.

[Jennicut]

2. What is it with Rethugs from Mass? They always twist and turn themselves

until no one believes them anymore. Reminds me a lot of Mittens.

[No Elephants]

6. Not to nitpick, but your first sentence has two words too many, namely, "from Mass."

Quick: How do you know a Rethug is lying?

[border_town]

3. Brown knows he is toast if he stands with Palin.

I live in Ma and Brown did not get elected with Republican votes only. He needs democratic support in order to win again and he will not get that if he endorses Palin's agenda. Also, this is the first I am hearing of this rally. The news media is not advertising this.

[Ian David]

11. Here's more info on the rally. I'll be there!

http://www.bluemassgroup.com/diary/19470/we-have-a-simple-plan-to-counter-protest-sarah-palin

[activa8tr]

26. What a cool cool cool idea, I wish I could join you!

I hope there's thousands there!

[No Elephants]

27. IMO, the group name and tactics they chose could backfire big time.

The visuals will be of the same kind we publish and mock here at DU.

And people who see those will not have seen the BlueMass group instructions.

They may just think "Wow. I thought Democrats in Massachusetts were supposed to be smart."

I sure hope it's effective, but, as I said, I think it could backfire.

[Ian David]

32. Good point. n/t

[pinboy3niner]

4. GD discussion should be brought in here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8134379

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. Just because he won't go means nothing

He's still the darling of the hard-right here in Massachusetts.

[No Elephants]

7. Of course. He's the first Mass. Retthug to go to D.C. since Sen. Brooke--and Brooke

admitted a few years ago he was Republican only bc he didn't know any better. (Before JFK, African-Americans were "Lincoln Republicans" as sharply distinguished from today's Log Cabin Republicans).

On edit: I should say Brooke "claimed" rather than Brooke "admitted." When he ran, he may have thought that being Republican gave him a better chance. (At that time, Massachusetts was not as blue as it has been since JFK.) Sorry, I just can't take anything a Republican says at face value, even one who now says being Republican was based on a misperception.)

[Ninga]

8. I hope and pray that Mass puts up a strong Dem to oust Brown. I believe the elction is in 2011?

[customerserviceguy]

10. Nope

It's in November 2012. But President Obama will be at the top of the ticket in that election.

That's one of the reasons that many in MA had for voting for Brown, he wasn't going to be there for a six-year term. Clearly, the Democratic Party has time to find a better candidate than Coakley.

[customerserviceguy]

9. Brown's not a full bagger

but he was happy for their support earlier this year. Still, he knows that by being openly on their side, he's toast with moderates in MA.

[FailureToCommunicate]

12. Meh. This is the Herald, after all. "Stunning" victory? "Fiery" grassroots group?

Please, spare me. Brown won by a 5% margin, because a lot of 'I didn't get my pony,' lazy-assed democrats didn't bother to look up from their texting to go vote. Even if you thought Martha Coakley was a boring candidate, voting is often picking the lesser (by far) of two evils. But it does involve PICKING! (You know, actually voting)

As for Sarah Palin's rally, well, the more people hear her nails-on-a-blackboard one liners, the more they hopefully will be motivated to vote...

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. Coakley's campaign was utterly pathetic - Brown's win was a fluke

Unfortunately, this has started a wave that may be hard to stop.

I will never forget what she has allowed to happen to Massachusetts.

[No Elephants]

28. Both true, but dissatisfaction with what was going on in D.C. as of mid-January was also a factor.

People say, at first, Brown was only trying to get known statewide so he could run for statewide office--maybe Treasurer. But, then, he got caught up in the "perfect storm."

Now, he has a few advantages: 1) not only statewide recognition, but national recognition. For many reasons, the media loves covering him--and favorably, too. 2) incumbency.

And, yes, his victory opened a door in Massachusetts that has probably been shut since McGovern, if not JFK.

[DRoseDARs]

14. Then there's the imaginary Senate race he thinks he's in with Rachael Maddow. n/t

[Gin]

16. Ha! Good one....Rachel has my vote!

[No Elephants]

29. I hope that motivates her to campaign in Massachusetts for his Democratic oppoinent.

Heck, I wouldn't even mind if she campaigned for his Republican primary opponent, if he has one. I think a new face will be easier for a Democrat to beat than an incumbent.

[bluestateguy]

15. I don't like the guy but he is a smart politician

He knows he will be facing a bigger electorate in 2012 when Obama is on the ballot, in a state he won with 62% of the vote too.

[No Elephants]

30. He isn't that smart. He has the best advisors Romney and the RNC can buy and

he is blessed with good looks, which Massachusetts seems to go for (Kennedys Romney); a welfare to a Republican succeeding a Kennedy story; and an appealing family, including a local TV news reporter wife and an American Idol singer daughter.

If he's smart, it's in knowing which advisors to follow (which is a good skill).

[karynnj]

33. Is there a state in the union that does not go for good looks?

Would John Edwards have won a Senate seat in North Carolina if he looked liked Barney Frank? Would Dan Quayle, who put out a denial that he looked like Robert Redford, have won a seat in IN, even if relatives of his owned the two big Indianapolis papers?

But, in Brown's case, he still would have lost to a better Democratic candidate. Once in, he will be harder to get out.

(Kerry when he was first elected was very good looking as well - here's a video of Kerry about 6 years later running for re-election visiting with a ship captain on the Merrimack River. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3i08pxdM_Y&feature=related Not to mention, looking at the video of Brown and Kerry together - http://www.necn.com/Boston/Politics/2010/01/21/Brown-meets-with-Kerry-on/1264090686.html Brown will be fortunate if he looks as good 15 years from now at Kerry's age - especially as his hair (unlike Kennedy's(all his life), Romney's or Kerry's, is already receding. )

[edbermac]

17. A massive rally?

They know how many people are going to show up 2 days from now?

[No Elephants]

31. Doesn't matter how many really show up. The media will say it was hundreds of thousands.

[joe black]

18. He wants to be president.