An exclusive interview with Scott Brown conducted by FrumForum before his surprising swing in voter support paints a picture of a hardworking candidate; a moderate, New England Republican; and, if he is elected, a senator that will be sorely disappointing to the tea partiers currently backing him.
If he gets elected, look for Brown’s political philosophy to put him on the centrist side of the Republican caucus. He stressed to FrumForum that he has no qualms with working through legislation with Democrats. “I’ve always been an independent voter, and when I have to cross party lines, I do. I don’t usually care what my party says,” he said.
While the Tea Partiers have gleefully lined themselves up behind Scott Brown, it seems as though Brown is not particularly behind the tea partiers. In fact, it has even been recently alleged that Brown denied being familiar with the tea party movement at all.
We know that Brown has heard of the movement, because FrumForum was the first political news outlet to ask him whether he considered himself a tea partier. He replied, “Look, I’ve always tried to model my political beliefs after my (own) political beliefs, and let others say, ‘gee, I’d like to be like Scott Brown’. I’m not beholden to anybody.”
He further distanced himself from the Tea Party movement by suggesting an adherence to New England Republican political tradition: “I’m a Massachusetts Republican… I look at the issues and make a determination based on the facts.” He also told FrumForum: “I’m the closest thing [Bay Staters] will get to a Reagan Democrat.”
Looking back at the Republican disaster in the special election held in New York’s 23rd congressional district, Brown faults those who divided the conservative movement into two camps. “If we start drawing lines in the sand, we’re all going to be losers, collectively,” he remarked. “I think there is room for everybody, there has to be, in this tent that we have.”
If Brown pulls off the stunning upset required to beat Democrat Martha Coakley, the nation will be looking to him to provide the crucial 41st vote against the Democrats’ healthcare reform legislation.
Obamacare, he said, is completely different from the healthcare reform he voted for under Governor Mitt Romney, pointing to the process of consultation as a key distinction. “You can’t compare it. It’s apples and oranges. [Obamacare] is put together entirely by politicians, [and] that scares me. That’s unlike what we did here [under Romney], where we had input ad naseum from the medical community.”
In a sign of how he’s managed to swing momentum his way, Brown continued to construct lawn signs when FrumForum reached him on his cell phone in November, when he was over thirty points back of Martha Coakley. “Just putting up a couple of signs, then heading out to Worchester to speak with an editorial board this afternoon,” he remarked.
A Lt. Colonel in the Judicial Advocate General’s Corps of the U.S. armed forces, Scott Brown has been working on his campaign at a furious pace, sleeping just four hours a night and door-knocking deep into Democratic territory.
At this point, it’s looking like his assiduous efforts are paying off. Next Tuesday, Scott Brown might be able to pull off a miracle in Massachusetts – and send a thoughtful, moderate Republican to Washington, D.C.
39 responses so far
1 rbottoms // Jan 15, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Since when was lying considered a good thing?
Who isn’t familiar with the Tea Party movement if one is currently seeking federal office? Let’s say for the sake of argument he doesn’t share the teabaggers crazy birther fantasies and conspiracy theories, how could he not be familiar with their existence as part of the movement’s negatives?
This site exists because of teh crazy that’s infected the GOP, but Brown is blissfully unaware of any such issues facing the Republican party.
Yeah, right.
2 TAZ // Jan 15, 2010 at 2:56 pm
He further distanced himself from the Tea Party movement by suggesting an adherence to New England Republican political tradition: “I’m a Massachusetts Republican… I look at the issues and make a determination based on the facts.” He also told FrumForum: “I’m the closest thing [Bay Staters] will get to a Reagan Democrat.”
Looking back at the Republican disaster in the special election held in New York’s 23rd congressional district, Brown faults those who divided the conservative movement into two camps. “If we start drawing lines in the sand, we’re all going to be losers, collectively,” he remarked. “I think there is room for everybody, there has to be, in this tent that we have.”
I sure hope he wins the election before the crazies find out he’s not a nut and put in a third party candidate.
3 rbottoms // Jan 15, 2010 at 3:03 pm
The issue isn’t whether he’s down with the teabaggers and the birthers, it’s his ludicrous and deceitful claim to know nothing about them, or what they want.
4 Tim Mak // Jan 15, 2010 at 3:03 pm
@rbottoms – Yeah, you’re right. Although he didn’t definitively deny he knew about the movement. There’s some debate over the meaning of his words.
Contrast this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/14/scott-brown-held-tea-part_n_423198.html
With this:
http://www.dakotavoice.com/2010/01/media-mislead-with-allegations-scott-brown-unaware-of-tea-party-movement/
Here are his actual comments – you decide:
QUESTION: “Scott, what do you think about the Tea Party movement and what they are trying to do?”
BROWN: “I am not quite sure what you are talking about, what are they trying to do?”
QUESTION: “The anti-smaller government, sort of anti-establishment organization that is trying to take over the country.”
BROWN: “Taking over the country. I think that is a little bit of an exaggeration.”
QUESTION: “Well, they are all over the place and they are trying to take down moderate Republicans. . .”
BROWN: “All I know is that. . . ”
QUESTION: “Are you completely unaware of that organization?”
BROWN: “I’m not quite sure what you are referring to. But let me just say that this is a big tent campaign…”
5 rbottoms // Jan 15, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Translation: “My political consultants have told me to steer clear of any comment on the Tea Party movement lest I loose their support, so I will pretend I didn’t understand the question, and subtly imply I know little to knowing about them, because I really, really want to win. Sucker.”
6 franco 2 // Jan 15, 2010 at 4:25 pm
“…before his surprising swing in voter support paints a picture of a hardworking candidate; a moderate, New England Republican; and, if he is elected, a senator that will be sorely disappointing to the tea partiers currently backing him.”
You clowns at FF want it both ways. Half the time you are whining that tea partiers are forcing conservative candidates on you moderates, but when they get behind a moderate like Brown you pretend they are too stupid to know what they are doing.
You have bought into your own propaganda that tea partiers are purists and obstinate ideologues and I guess, clueless politically. But the folks who are clueless are you moderates who would NEVER have guessed this guy could win. The level of elite condescension here is despicable.
We are talking about Massachusetts here Tim. That said, Brown is STILL to the right of many of the candidates you and your friends promote in more conservative states.
So everywhere your theories are shown up to be incontinent.
7 Churl // Jan 15, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Whatever, Timmy. The Tea Party folks would find Brown much more acceptable than Coakley so they’re happy to support him.
8 franco 2 // Jan 15, 2010 at 4:41 pm
“It’s tough to know if Brown’s statement to the Globe was merely confusion, a gaffe, or a more telling effort to downplay his association with his party’s own conservative factions. Throughout the election, he has modeled himself as an independent-minded conservative. But, either because of his politics or the sheer implications of ending the Democratic Party’s supermajority in the Senate, his candidacy has become a magnet for Tea Party factions. All of which may help Brown’s campaign coffers. But might not be so political advantageous in what is still a very Democratic state.”
-Huffington Post dweeb
QUESTION: “Scott, what do you think about the Tea Party movement and what they are trying to do?”
BROWN: “I am not quite sure what you are talking about, what are they trying to do?”
THIS IS CLEAR ENOUGH – WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO DO?…
QUESTION: “The anti-smaller (SIC) government, sort of anti-establishment organization that is trying to take over the country.”
BROWN: “Taking over the country. I think that is a little bit of an exaggeration.”
———-CLEAR STATEMENT–
QUESTION: “Well, they are all over the place and they are trying to take down moderate Republicans. . .”
BROWN: “All I know is that. . . ”
QUESTIONER INTERRUPTS — CLEARLY HOSTILE HERE
QUESTION: “Are you completely unaware of that organization?”
AGAIN HOSTILE – WHEN BROWN DOESN’T ACCEPT EXAGGERATIONS AND MIS-CHARACTERIZATIONS QUESTIONER PRETENDS BROWN IS ‘UNAWARE’ OR IS FEIGNING UNAWARENESS
BROWN: “I’m not quite sure what you are referring to. But let me just say that this is a big tent campaign…”
BROWN DEFTLY AVOIDS THIS OBVIOUS TRAPPING STRATEGY BY QUESTIONER.
Then we see the motive by looking at the headline.
These people couldn’t be more transparent.
9 Tim Mak // Jan 15, 2010 at 4:44 pm
@Churl: “The Tea Party folks would find Brown much more acceptable than Coakley so they’re happy to support him.”
Good! I hope they take that same philosphy and apply that in other races, in jurisdictions where Tea Party types are unelectable!
10 franco 2 // Jan 15, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Tim Mak // Jan 15, 2010 at 3:03 pm
@rbottoms – Yeah, you’re right. Although he didn’t definitively deny he knew about the movement. There’s some debate over the meaning of his words.
There is some debate? There is no debate. There are misrepresentations of what the man said. Big difference, Tim. The exchange couldn’t be more clear, nor the intent of the interviewer to get Brown to either distance himself from the tea party movement or to align with it.
This is another reason why moderates lose elections. They don’t know what they are up against. They think everyone is acting out of good intentions. They are good liberals suckered by the bad liberals.
11 teabag // Jan 15, 2010 at 5:35 pm
One month after the September 11th attacks, Scott Brown was one of only three Massachusetts State Representatives to vote against a bill to provide financial assistance to Red Cross workers who had volunteered with 9/11 recovery efforts.
Why did Brown vote against 9/11 workers?
The Brown campaign acknowledged the vote , claiming the measure would have taxed already-strained state finances.
Nice guy, fiscal conservative with no feelings. Par for the course.
12 franco 2 // Jan 15, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Hey Teabag, you like to give away other peoples money. What a nice guy YOU are!
13 jjv // Jan 15, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Oh come on! Scott Brown is against same sex marriage and merely notes it exists in Massachusetts. He is for stopping it going nationwide. He apologizes for Romney Care. He is supported by Massachusetts Right To Life.He keeps saying “Its the People’s Seat.” Sounds like a tea party slogan to me. He is supported by Rush Limbaugh and Howie Carr (did Howie go moderate and reserved when I wasn’t looking?) There is no question he is moderate in some ways but the key thing is he is running a competant populist campaign. He seems 1) likeable and 2) competent. He will be to the Left of the Republican Party spectrum but well to the Right of any Senator from Massachusetts since the 1920’s. In the Massachusetts mileu he is breaking the mold by running as an independent conservative not a milqutoast Republican. Its simply amazing. I still think he will lose but I so want to be wrong.
14 sinz54 // Jan 15, 2010 at 6:24 pm
franco 2:
At FiveThirtyEight.com, their analysis of Brown’s voting record (as contrasted with other state reps in MA and elsewhere) shows him to be a centrist, or even leaning slightly LEFT.
Brown is hawkish on foreign policy, a budget hawk, but he’s gotten decent if not cheering marks from labor and environmental groups, and he’s not trying to overturn Roe v. Wade either.
That sounds like Joe Lieberman or maybe Max Baucus.
I don’t think that there’s all that much difference between them–except that Baucus screwed up health care reform, not out of Pelosi-like ideology but because he just plain screwed it up.
15 sinz54 // Jan 15, 2010 at 6:27 pm
teabag:
I’m tolerant of your trolling, but not of your plagiarism.
Next time, give credit where credit is due:
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/scott-brown-voted-against-giving-help-to-911-recovery-workers/
Greg Sergent wrote your post, not you.
16 kcarts // Jan 15, 2010 at 6:28 pm
“Just putting up a couple of signs, then heading out to Worchester to speak with an editorial board this afternoon,” he remarked.
Where the hell is “Worchester”?
17 teabag // Jan 15, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Next time, give credit where credit is due: I forgot the quote marks, and I did not get it from the source you quoted, and it was not attributed to anyone.
18 Tim Mak // Jan 15, 2010 at 6:59 pm
@kcarts: Here it is!
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Worcester+MA
19 anniemargret // Jan 15, 2010 at 7:07 pm
And it’s pronounced, “woosta’ not War-chest-er. I lived in Boston for 4 years.
20 sallyfarrar // Jan 15, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Call me a Republican or call me a Tea Partier, I don’t care……Call Scott Brown anything you want and I would still vote for him. At this point it is ABD. Anybody But a Dem.
Does anyone in the media or in politics GET IT? We, the people, are sick of all of you.
Out, out, out!
21 MikeNYC // Jan 15, 2010 at 11:35 pm
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Special-election-gets-more-so-Scott-Brown-nude-photos–81339772.html
I’ll bet lots of guys would let him teabag them.
22 beaumandy // Jan 15, 2010 at 11:57 pm
Can we just get this out in the open once again. Moderate Republicans are nothing more than liberals who are afraid to admit who they really are. These people are confused about who they are and they are WEAK.
Guys like David Frum are laughed at. He has no clue about America and it’s people, that much is more than obvious. Really David, you think moderate Republicans are the key to getting it all back? Your moderate John McCain showed this to be pure ignorant folly.
Scott Brown is a CONSERVATIVE. When you factor in that he comes from freaking Mass. and he is going to vote against Obama care, he is perfect for this election. He is no limp wristed RINO David.. that would be you buddy. But nice try. You don’t matter.
23 fiddystorms // Jan 16, 2010 at 12:13 am
As politically astute as the tea party movement is… you think we don’t know that? Do you really think this is some revelation that a Republican from Mass. is moderate at best? If he can make decisions without corrupt intentions, then we’ll respect him. If he follows the Constitution and doesn’t pretend the General Welfare clause is the beginning and the end of the document… we’ll be patient with him. If you represents the people’s will and doesn’t vote for something that has the disapproval of two-thirds of the Country, we’ll support him again.
Liberals and Socialists of all shapes and sizes, pay close attention, we’re exposing your ideology for what it is. Old School Democrats beware… this is not your Fathers Democrat Party.
Now, take aim with the only weapon you have… ridicule. I know you think ridiculing the tea party will influence the curious into not investigating further and discovering who they really are politically. Just like your party, you need to keep their minds closed. Just as your leaders have you enslaved to the point you are willing accomplices ready to recruit new weak minded people to talk smack about Capitalism, American history, actual working people, etc. You are an enemy of freedom and sadly for you, your days in the sunlight are numbered. Scurry back into the darkness Socialist cockroaches.
Tuesday, open your mouth real wide… We’re gonna be having a tea party and everyone’s cumming.
24 beaumandy // Jan 16, 2010 at 1:09 am
Fiddy……. simply an awesome last post from ya. Guys like Frum will never get it. But you know what? Guys like Frum are being being blown off the map faster than you can say confused moderate.
There is a reason Rush Limbaugh has 22 million listeners every day and Frum has well……. he has his little articles nobody reads.
25 BruceMajors // Jan 16, 2010 at 7:08 am
It doesn’t matter if he is or is not a Tea Partier. First he says he will vote against Obama’s nationalization of medicine, which is the litmus test issue for Tea Partiers.
Second, he is our instrument. His election is a knife in the side of the fascist Demwits and a defeat for the stalinoid Obama regime. We intend to throw the Obama regime, Demwits, and RINOs out of office. And then we intend to have trials and incarcerations. I myself would prefer French Revolutionary justice, with a guillotine set up on the national mall, but if most people’s taste only allows for incarcerations and exiles I will try to be accepting of the moderates.
26 BruceMajors // Jan 16, 2010 at 7:17 am
Mike I don’t know why you posted those silly 1982 “Cosmo” photosd that every gay site in the world, plus the working girls at Wonkette and even “Red Eye” have shown. I am an openly gay Tea Party activist and the fact that Scott Brown (and for that matter his whole family) is totally hot makes me more likely to support him.
On the one side we have hot athletic families like the Browns, the Palins, the Bachmans, the Romneys, hell, even Rand and Ron Paul or in his younger days McCain. On the other side we have freaky fatsos like Barney Frank, fugly liars like Chuck Schumer, walking cadavers like Harry Reid, bobble head plastic faced idiots like Nancy Pelosi, screechy cartoonish bitches like Debbie Weiss what her face, lardo clowns like Alan Grayson etc. It’s a freaking Ayn Rand graphic novel. All these horrifically ugly Demwit bitches and bastards, rabbit toothed Joan Walsh and monster choppers Michelle Obama, and robotic FrankenKerry and wooden Al Bore, should be wiped off the earth and our TVs just for being ugly and boring.
27 franco 2 // Jan 16, 2010 at 7:46 am
Axelrod: Did you hear about the disaster?
Obama: Yes, it’s terrible we have to do something.
Axelrod: We can send Clinton
Obama: Which one?
Axelrod(rolls eyes): Ha ha, funny Barry..
Obama : Maybe I should go personally…
Axelrod: Too dangerous..
Obama: Oh c’mon, you’re exaggerating again, David, I have Secret Service protection with machine guns..they are thugs with machetes
Axelrod: It’s not that, it’s just a really volatile environment right now, and you would look bad if things don’t turn out..
Obama: They need relief…
Axelrod (slams open palm on desk): But you don’t need to actually go there! They need your inspiration, Mr President. They need a rousing speech to get them off their duffs… remember “Hope” Barry? That’s how I got you here, and that’s how you.. and I, will stay here! Got it?
Obama (cooly): David, I’m beginning to think you are taking this emphasis on giving speeches too far. Everyone needs inspiration but sometimes they just need food and water and medical supplies….
Axelrod: We’ll get to the food and water crisis in the second term. Right now it’s Health Care, Health Care, Health Care. Stay focused, Barry.. are you smoking again? I don’t mean cigarettes..
Obama: I’m President, David, I’m going to fly in and rescue some bodies from the rubble myself if I have to.
Axelrod: Oh, who’s exaggerating now?
28 franco 2 // Jan 16, 2010 at 8:05 am
And Tim, go have your argument with Chuck Shumer, who says:
“Martha Coakley is running to fill the rest of Ted Kennedy’s term, and her opponent is a far-right tea-bagger Republican,”
One of the big problems with you moderate wimps is that you can’t see practical realities.
1.Rush Limbaugh Sean Hannity Glenn Beck and the rest of talk radio aren’t going away. They aren’t going to change their message. Their message happens to be POPULAR. They are much more popular than your inside the beltway cabal.The Tea Party movement isn’t going away either.
2.Democrats will always try to associate any Republican candidate, no matter how moderate with them.
You have two choices.
1. You can defend your allies to the right of you.
2. You can try to distance yourself.
If you choose option #2 you will still be smeared by Democrats and you risk losing support of your allies as well.
When you choose option #2, don’t expect us to have your back. Please stop whining that conservatives won’t support your candidates. Go stop Shumer et al from smearing you with conservatives and “teabaggers” if you don’t like it, don’t come to us begging.
29 MikeNYC // Jan 16, 2010 at 11:24 am
Bruce, I’m glad you’re a tea bagger. Have at it. And I agree that the general level of mentality of the the current Republican voters is for hot babes (Carrie Prejean and her “film”, Sarah Palin and her “no sex before marriage except in the case of me and my daughter”) and hot dudes like old Hot Scott (wonder if his daughter has his center fold on her bedroom wall?). However, intelligent Americans vote for people who support the rights of all Americans (not just a few). While old Hot Scott apparently had his day with the “boys” he now supports “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (the military one and the one with his own family) and seems to have a problem with who people he doesn’t even know marry. By all means, Bruce, vote for the hot guy but some of us will vote for America and what it stands for.
30 neomom // Jan 16, 2010 at 12:07 pm
MikeNYC –
Since when did America stand for oppressive taxation, redistribution of wealth and the nanny-state?
Just sayin’
31 teabag // Jan 16, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Franco.
You are confusing Obama with Bush.
Remember the flight suit complete with Codpiece. Remember the fake landing on the carrier deck.?
Remember the fireman’s outfit and bullshit, sorry bullhorn at ground zero?
Remember the fake bush clearing at the fake ranch and the Texas accent on a new England elite?
Surely you jest.
32 Tim Mak » FrumForum Interview with Scott Brown: He’s No Tea Partier // Jan 16, 2010 at 7:12 pm
[...] Read more at: http://www.frumforum.com/scott-brown-hes-no-tea-partier [...]
33 motamanx // Jan 17, 2010 at 10:19 am
Scott Brown is an empty suit. Another Rove pick whose job it is to stab any sort of progress the American people voted for in the back.
A lot of comments in the spaces above are confused as to the definition of fascism: Fasciasm is allied with large corporations, as favored by the previous administration.
34 jakester // Jan 19, 2010 at 12:39 am
The teapartiers aren’t very artful or classy, but most of them are average people who would probably rally behind a reasonable moderate. Let’s stop demonizing teapartiers and try to listen and co-opt them.
35 jakester // Jan 19, 2010 at 12:42 am
BruceMajors,
I think you are attempting parody, but if not, you need some help!
36 Daily Lounge » Blog Archive » The Downfall of the Democrats? // Jan 24, 2010 at 11:30 pm
[...] he opposes the current health care bill, he voted in favor of healthcare reform in Massachusetts. In an interview with FrumForum, he called himself both an “independent voter” and a “Reagan Democrat” and said, “I don’t usually care [...]
37 Is The Tea Party An Inadvertently Moderating Force? // Feb 23, 2010 at 10:08 am
[...] campaign for Teddy Kennedy’s seat in Massachusetts. This despite the fact that he distanced himself from the movement even before the election. Senator Brown, despite echoing the same stimulus [...]
38 The Brown Betrayal That Wasn’t | FrumForum // Mar 13, 2010 at 5:28 am
[...] a FrumForum interview titled “Scott Brown: He’s No Tea Partier”, Brown portended his jobs bill vote by [...]
39 The Brown Betrayal That Wasn’t | FrumForum // Mar 13, 2010 at 5:28 am
[...] a FrumForum interview titled “Scott Brown: He’s No Tea Partier”, Brown portended his jobs bill vote by [...]
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