Thursday, December 8, 2011

Money Man Brown

As someone who ran quite infamously as a man who drove a beat up truck (and IMO not much else), Scott Brown sure has quickly turned into quite the money man:
Next week, Brown backers are slated to hold at least two fundraisers to fill the coffers of Scott PAC and his campaign. On Dec. 7, his campaign is hosting a money bash at the National Theater, where the play “Jersey Boys” is currently running. And on Dec. 11, Scott PAC is holding a fundraiser at Fed Ex Field when the Washington Redskins take on the New England Patriots. ...
Even though Brown’s campaign had over $10.5 million in the bank as of Sept. 30, lobbyists are in overdrive to raise millions more because [Elizabeth] Warren’s campaign is off to a fast start and a new poll shows her with a slight edge over Brown.
Deep-pocketed GOP allies such as Crossroads GPS, the Karl Rove-founded group backed by secret donors, have sought to help Brown with negative TV spots against Warren.
Brown's been trying to paint himself as a moderate ever since he entered office, and to the extent that he hasn't been associated with the Tea Party, he's succeeded. However, he's had an unimpressive term to date and speaks the same depressingly Randian language as just about every other Republican out there.

Elizabeth Warren and her progressive policies are just about everything that I hope for in a candidate. I'm excited to vote for her. Here's hoping that enough of my Massachusetts brethren feel the same.

Related Posts:
The Social Contract

2 comments:

Joel said...

It's fair to point out that Elizabeth Warren has been quite the money woman as well. Way back in October, the campaign announced that it had already raised over $3 million. And, she has our own deep-pocketed allies, such as George Soros, who hosted a $1000 per plate fundraiser for her.

Which isn't a knock against Warren. It's very sad, but this is how politics works. Voters can too easily be swayed by expensive 30-second TV spots.

gibsonmeigs said...

I don't disagree with what you're saying, particularly with the awful role that money plays in politics. My problem with Brown stems from the fact that he tries to paint himself as an everyman (using that damned old truck as a prop!) when he's far from it. In fact, one of Brown's attacks against Warren will be that she's an "egghead elitist" - after all, she's a Harvard Law School professor for gawd's sake! - in contract to the barn-jacket wearing, Sox-loving Brown. It's a meme that the Republicans have played to great success in the past, and I only hope that MA voters either see through this cynical ploy or listen to Warren's refreshing message. (I actually see Warren's message as being in line with what Teddy Roosevelt used to say: "We grudge no man a fortune in civil life if it is honorably obtained and well used. It is not even enough that it should have been gained without doing damage to the community. We should permit it to be gained only so long as the gaining represents benefit to the community.
This, I know, implies a policy of a far more active governmental interference with social and economic conditions in this country than we have yet had, but I think we have got to face the fact that such an increase in governmental control is now necessary."