Former Senator Scott Brown--He Never Fails, Except When He Does.

I'll admit, I have a lazy-political blogger tendency to follow the paths of politicians I think are naturally going to give me good material. That was why I was actually pretty happy to see former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown hop on back into the ring with a run against Jeanne Shaheen--not because I have a thing against Shaheen, who is probably walking away with this win, but because I am a lazy political blogger, and Scott Brown always gives me something to work with.  Always. He just brings it.

So can I talk about this NH campaign just a little?

One of the things I will give him credit for is to not ever not be punching--even if it's his own face:

Speaking to the Nashua Republican City Committee Thursday night, Brown accused Shaheen of voting for “every debt ceiling increase,” according to Friday's edition of theNashua Telegraph. He also pledged he would get the debt and deficit “under control,” the paper reported. 

But there was something he left out of his remarks to the Republicans: He also voted for raising the debt limit every time it came up. To be sure, Brown spoke out a lot about the need to cut spending and deficits during his three years in the Senate. But in 2011, when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was trying to cut a deal to raise the limit, unlike other Republicans, Brown was the only one to cross the aisle and support Reid. He also slammed the greater intransigence of Republicans in the House, calling it "kind of pathetic."

Now, you know me, and you know the special place I have in my heart for the damn dumb foolishness of political fuckery over the debt ceiling--the full faith and credit of the United States, people--even being up for debate. So you know I was okay with the "blasphemy" of his aisle-crossing, being right on this, and really question the hell out of why he'd be using  the same issue now against his opponent--unless he thinks the "R" that shows up after his name means "Re-Do".




But that ain't all--he used a little pull to founder Sen. Shaheen's energy bill recently to rob her of a legislative victory. Um, technically the bill was the Shaheen-Portman bill--which would be Rob Portman, R, OH, who is a known fiscal conservative, so it would have been a pretty acceptable bipartisan bill to both sides, except, you know...Scott Brown is having an election. Also, he can say this was about how he thought the Keystone Pipeline was at stake and that's why he wanted it killed, but no, he probably also killed that get a hearing. Because fumble-fingered, if you want my opinion, and you're on my blog, so I guess you do.

Also, you know what's kind of being a keystone of his campaigning--he doesn't care too much for Obamacare. Which is so weird, as a senator from Massachusetts running in New Hampshire. But no, it's weirder still. He would repeal the hell out of that thing, except maybe he wouldn't. You don't know:

Today Politico delivers in a big way with a deep dive into New Hampshire Senate candidate Scott Brown’s gyrations on Obamacare repeal. This is some epic buffoonery here, folks. There’s his support for Romneycare, the model for the national health law. But the best stuff is buried deep in the piece:  

Neither on the trail nor in an interview did the candidate make clear what he’d propose as an alternative to the president’s health law. At one stop, he suggested repealing Obamacare but letting New Hampshire’s beneficiaries be “grandfathered in” so they don’t lose coverage. A spokeswoman walked that back in a subsequent conversation.“You can’t grandfather people from something you’re fully repealing,” she said, emphasizing Brown’s intent to wipe out Obamacare before entertaining a replacement.   

When asked in the past what he’d do instead, he’s previously served up word salad. Now he’s mumbling something about “grandfathering in” people benefiting from the law, and getting rapidly corrected by his spokesperson? This confirms, again, that the political difficulties of repeal are making GOP candidates feel obliged to pretend to have an alternative — but there’s no real policy space for an alternative that would do what Obamacare does without the tradeoffs the law requires, which in turn makes repeal still less tenable.

 Such details! Much spinning! Very politics. I truly think Scott Brown is the Doge of running for US Senate.  But I love me some Doge, so--seriously--do Pennsylvania next! Do all fifty states! Run, Scott Brown, Run!