Senator Scott Brown Embraces House GOP’s Plan to Gut Medicare, What about Others?
So earlier today we wondered whether Speaker John Boehner is going to directly lobby his Republican colleagues in the U.S. Senate to walk with him on Paul Ryan’s road to recession. As everyone knows, things are not going too well for Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” debacle . Apparently Ryan was so much on the defensive during his speech at the Economic Club of Chicago that he ended up conceding the point that it was President George W. Bush who wrecked America’s economy. With this backdrop it is going to be interesting to see which Senate Republicans will step up to embrace Ryan’s roadmap to recession. We have heard that Senator Susan Collins does not want any part of it . Senators Rob Portman and Lamar Alexander backed off from it as well. So which Senate Republican is going to embrace Ryan? Enter Senator Scott Brown. Apparently Scott Brown is saying “Thank God” for Paul Ryan’s budget plan : “Finally we had congressman Ryan come forth with a budget proposal, thank God, because we haven’t had one in a couple years and that now has forced the debate and forced the President actually to come forth with his budget proposal,” Brown said. There is no going back for Brown at this point. His words, blessing Ryan’s plan to gut Medicare should be tagged on his forehead from here on out. As Steve Benen wonders in amusement : Are Massachusetts voters aware of this? Keep in mind, we’re talking about a right-wing budget agenda that, among other things, ends Medicare, cuts taxes on millionaires, eliminates safeguards on Wall Street, and guts funding on everything from food stamps to infrastructure to education. Brown could easily oppose this — his centrist GOP colleague, Susan Collins, already has — but he’s nevertheless defending it. Also note, just two months ago, Brown, an alleged moderate, also voted for the House Republican budget for the current fiscal year, which, among other things, cut funding on medical research, job training, health care, and homeland security. Scott Brown does realize that Massachusetts isn’t Mississippi, doesn’t he? “Dan Quayle in a barn coat” is looking more and more apt all the time. It looks like Massachussets Democrats to their credit are already on Brown’s case . Now the question becomes: What about other guys? What about Senator Bob Corker from Tennessee? What about Mark Kirk from Illinois? What about Lisa Murkowski from Alaska? How about Olympia Snowe? Are they also going to step out and offer Paul Ryan a bear hug in public or are they going to hide from the public? How about Boehner? While the country is grappling with the expiration of debt ceiling is he going to be relaxing in yet another recess or is he going to walk the walk of talking up supporting “Path to Prosperity” ? I mean Boehner shares the same state with Senator Portman, who as mentioned above is unsure about the Ryan plan. It shouldn’t be that hard for Boehner to publicly call out Portman through the Ohio press that he should embrace the Ryan plan. No? The traditional media should not let Boehner hide during this recess. If they want to track him down, they can probably just look for him at the local golf courses or tanning salons.
Senator Scott Brown Embraces House GOP’s Plan to Gut Medicare, What about Others?
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on May 16, 2011. Filed under