Brown follows his own path in DC

Who was praising President Barack Obama last week for his handling of the drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq?

It was Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown commenting on the end of U.S. combat operations.

I think the president has done a good job on that,”

said Brown, who has also backed Obama’s surge in Afghanistan. However, they part ways on the president setting a timetable to consider withdrawal from Afghanistan next summer.

Brown, who has visited the war zones, said Massachusetts soldiers were successful in Iraq. “I’m very proud of our soldiers from Massachusetts,” he said.

Meanwhile, those wondering how much an impact Brown will have on the elections here in Massachusetts got an answer last week when “the people’s” senator returned to the state and stepped into campaign mode.

What Brown had to say could give a boost to Republican Charlie Baker’s campaign as well as Republican challengers hoping to win congressional seats …Continue

Scott Brown stumps for Mark Kirk in Illinois

I try to look at people I could go out and have a beer with after and talk about how to get the country working again … people of similar interests,” Brown said. “There are a group of about 20 of us who are fiscal conservatives and social moderates, on both sides of the aisle — Democrats and Republicans. We’re making a nice little bond so we can make some changes next session.”

Kirk often tells Republicans in Illinois, “Don’t let Massachusetts have all the fun.” Brown’s surprise election to what Democrats called “Ted Kennedy’s seat” emboldened Illinois Republicans that they can take back what Democrats here call “Barack Obama’s senate seat.”

Senator Brown travels to Israel, Jordan

Senator Brown travels to Israel, Jordan

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff   — WASHINGTON – Senator Scott Brown is traveling to the Middle East, embarking on his second trip abroad since being elected seven months ago.

The Massachusetts Republican is going to Israel and Jordan, according to his spokeswoman, and “will be exploring areas where our countries can further collaborate on homeland security issues.” Brown will be meeting with Jordanian and Israeli defense and foreign military leaders, as well as government officials.

The spokeswoman, Gail Gitcho, would not say whether Brown would travel to the West Bank or and Palestinian areas, citing security concerns.

Brown, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, is traveling with committee staff but he is the only senator on the trip, according to Gitcho.

Brown went to Afghanistan and Pakistan shortly after his election, and in June announced in a speech that he also wanted to travel to Israel. In that speech, he also launched into a strong defense of Israel, which at the time was under widespread criticism for raiding one of six ships that were bound for Gaza, filled with supplies, and attempting to break an Israeli blockade. Nine were killed after Israel commandos stormed aboard.  Continue…

Sen. Scott Brown to address Nebraska Republicans

FREMONT, Neb. — U.S. Sen. Scott Brown will be the featured speaker at the Nebraska GOP state convention in Fremont.

Brown is scheduled to speak Saturday afternoon to state Republicans.

Financial Bill Update:

“It includes safeguards to help prevent another financial meltdown, ensures that consumers are protected, and it is paid for without new taxes,’’ Brown said, adding, “further reforms are still needed to address the government’s role in the financial crisis.

Unfunded Unemployment

The unemployment measure would have cost $34 billion – Sen. Brown opposed it as there was no funding source to pay for it – http://bu.tt/hz

Financial bill…

Over the July recess, I will continue to review this important bill. I remain committed to putting in place safeguards to prevent another financial meltdown, ensure that consumers are protected, and that this bill is paid for without new taxes.”

Republican Brown outpolls Dems Obama & Kerry in Mass.

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

If this doesn’t set off huge warning bells for the Democratic Party, it should:
Newcomer Republican Senator Scott Brown is more popular in Massachusetts than top Democrats, like Pres. Obama and Sen. John Kerry. We’re talking about Massachusetts here… the liberal bastion of politics where the late Ted Kennedy held his senate seat for nearly five decades.

A new Boston Globe poll shows that 55 percent of Massachusetts residents have a favorable view of Brown, who’s been in Washington for only five months. 18 percent view him unfavorably…

Compare that to Pres. Obama, who gets a 54 percent favorable rating in Mass. And 41 percent unfavorable. Or the state’s other Senator, John Kerry, who has been in the Senate for years – he gets a 52 percent favorable rating… and a 37 percent unfavorable rating.

The poll also shows support for Brown runs deep; with majorities of Republicans and Independents… and a plurality of Democrats – viewing him favorably. Continue…

Bill can’t bank on Senator Brown’s support

Financial regulations overhaul faces hurdle | Legislation seeks to rein in abuses
By Matt Viser
Globe Staff / June 26, 2010

WASHINGTON — Bleary eyed House and Senate negotiators produced an overhaul of financial industry rules early yesterday that would give the government broad powers to regulate Wall Street and protect consumers from unscrupulous lenders, but Democrats enjoyed only a fleeting celebration before Senator Scott Brown, a Massachusetts Republican, said he was withholding support, citing $19 billion in new bank taxes inserted at the last minute.

Brown’s ire over the levy on big banks and hedge funds, which he said would be passed on to consumers, highlighted the difficulties Democrats will face getting the compromise legislation passed in the Senate. Brown and several other Republicans provided crucial support for passage of an earlier Senate bill.

The $19 billion in new taxes would be imposed on large institutions over five years, and the money mostly would be used to pay for costs of increasing regulation over 10 years. It also would pay for $1 billion in federal bridge loans for unemployed homeowners facing foreclosure.

The taxes were tacked onto the legislation during a marathon, 20-hour negotiating session which ended with a final vote at 5:39 a.m. yesterday — just five minutes before dawn.

The legislation cleared a conference committee along party lines, with House conferees voting 20 to 11 and Senate conferees voting 7 to 5. If Democrats can engineer final passage in the House and Senate, President Obama is hoping to sign it into law by July 4.

“I was surprised and extremely disappointed to hear that . . . new assessments and fees were added in the wee hours of the morning by the conference committee,’’ Brown said in a statement yesterday. “I’ve said repeatedly that I cannot support any bill that raises taxes.’’

Brown did not declare outright opposition, however, saying he and his staff were continuing to study the 2,000-page bill. He did win other provisions that he had made conditions of his support, including a key exemption that would apply to MassMutual and provisions allowing banks such as State Street Corp. to invest up to 3 percent of their capital in securities markets. Continue…

On energy ‘very excited’ about working with Obama

By Drew Angerer, AP 

Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., says he told President Obama he wants to work with him on climate change but can’t support a carbon tax.

So how did that meeting between Republican Sen. Scott Brown and President Obama go?

 The Massachusetts senator, who won a special election shocker earlier this year to grab the seat held for nearly five decades by Democratic icon Ted Kennedy, told reporters who caught up with him on Capitol Hill afterward that the discussion did center on climate change. Brown ix-nayed one of the ideas that the president has been pushing hardest: a tax on carbon pollution.

“I told him I am not in favor of a national energy tax,” said Brown.

Even so, Brown said he told Obama that he’s “very excited about working with him” on plans to move the nation to alternative forms of energy. “People want to conserve; they want to get off the dependence on foreign oil,” he said.  Continue…