Who cares?
That was the Metro lead?
How much did taxpayers have to come up with to send this guy there?
"State urged to pick up election tab
Massachusetts communities spent $7.8 million to hold the special election in January that elected Scott Brown as a US senator.
As if we had that to spare.
Related: Mass. Hypocrisy in Full Flower
Thanks, Ted! Sure didn't work out like you expected, huh?
Brown scored a stunning upset in the race, defeating Attorney General Martha Coakley, a Democrat. State Auditor Joe DeNucci released the figure yesterday, saying the state should reimburse the communities because the election was an “unfunded state mandate.’’
The TAX MONEY STILL COMES FROM the SAME PLACE!
DeNucci said about $1.6 million had already been reimbursed and the remainder was contained in a supplemental budget offered by the governor and passed by the House. “This is a matter of fairness for cities and towns,’’ DeNucci said in a statement. “The special election imposed a significant cost at a time when they could least afford it. I commend Governor Patrick and the Legislature for their commitment to address this important issue.’’
And you know who we have to thank for that.
--more--"
Before we get to where he is going we have to go where he has been:
"2 candidates for Senate seat battle over ex-speakers’ donations" by Jason Woods, Globe Correspondent | April 7, 2010
The Democratic challenger to state Representative Lida Harkins has seized on contributions three former speakers made to the veteran lawmaker, sending voters a mass mailing that says Harkins took campaign money from “corrupt politicians.’’
Peter Smulowitz has staked much of his campaign for an open state Senate seat on linking Harkins, a Democrat from Needham, to the former speakers, Charles Flaherty, Thomas Finneran, and Sal DiMasi, all of whom were charged and left office.
“Who takes campaign cash from corrupt politicians? Lida Harkins does,’’ reads the mailing.
In response, Harkins said Smulowitz is engaging in “gutter politics.’’
That's where you find politics, and I'm sick of going there as well as the interminable MSM blather about it.
******
The two are vying for the state Senate seat vacated by new US Senator Scott Brown. The Democratic primary is Tuesday, and the winner faces state Representative Richard Ross, a Republican, on May 11....
Make sure you shower after you vote.
So what has Brownie been up to in his new job?
"Brown travels to South Asia on 1st foreign mission in new post; No details given; aides cite possible security risks" by Matt Viser, Globe Staff | April 7, 2010
WASHINGTON — Senator Scott Brown is on a fact-finding mission to the volatile region of South Asia, getting his first taste of an overseas congressional trip as he seeks to bolster his foreign affairs credentials.
Just wondering what is the carbon footprint on that.
Aides to both Brown and to the trip organizer, Senator Thomas Carper, Democrat of Delaware, declined to divulge any details, citing the potential security risks of traveling in a dangerous region. Brown’s staff would say only that the trip was to South Asia.
The region would be a logical stop for Brown, who is on several key committees that would require firsthand knowledge of areas of strife. His assignments include the Homeland Security, Armed Services, and Veterans Affairs committees.
Related: Brown's Assignments
Brown, a Republican who is making his first trip abroad since being sworn in two months ago, is a lieutenant colonel in the Massachusetts National Guard and is expected to try to make a mark on military and veterans issues.
That is why I was surprised he said this, although I guess I should not have been.
Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said concerns about divulging too many details are justified. “Security is always something we are mindful of with congressional visits to the war zone,’’ Whitman said.
Senator John F. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, often releases details of his overseas trips. Two weeks ago, when Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, led a delegation overseas, it was announced ahead of time that he and two other senators would travel to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan to meet with soldiers, military commanders, and foreign leaders.
Security concerns, however, were heightened after Representative Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, sent a batch of updates on his Twitter account last year as he traveled on a congressional trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. (“Just landed in Baghdad,’’ was one posting, followed several hours later by “Moved into green zone by helicopter Iraqi flag now over palace. Headed to new US embassy Appears calmer less chaotic than previous here.’’)
Am I supposed to care about any of that s*** or.... ??
Democrats were angered that their safety could have been in jeopardy as a result of the postings, and the Pentagon said it would review communications by members of Congress while in war zones. Brown’s spokeswoman, Gail Gitcho, would not say when he left or when he would return, although Congress resumes work Monday after a two-week break. The congressional trips are paid by taxpayers. Some of the trips have been criticized by watchdog groups, while others defend them as a way to gain understanding.
Why not?
You have bottomless pockets, America.
Also see: Brown Gets Down to Business
I guess the secrecy is why the Globe made this an Invisible Ink (never appeared in my printed paper):
"Brown discusses Karzai meeting; Senator makes 1st overseas trip" by Matt Viser, Globe Staff | April 10, 2010
WASHINGTON — Offering the first details about his initial trip overseas as a freshman senator, Scott Brown said yesterday that he had met President Hamid Karzai this week and discussed strategy with US civilian and military leaders during a visit to Afghanistan.
The GOP senator said he and four congressional colleagues talked with Karzai for about an hour and discussed in particular derisive comments the Afghan president made about Western military efforts in his country. It was reported that Karzai had suggested he may join the Taliban during those comments.
Related: Krazy Karzai
See why he's getting a lot of AmeriKan visitors?
“We held nothing back,’’ Brown said in a conference call from the trip. “We were very direct in asking and having answers to every question.’’
Brown said he was convinced that Karzai was misquoted in his comments about joining the Taliban. Karzai had made the comment during a private meeting with Afghan lawmakers, according to lawmakers who spoke to several news organizations after the meeting, some of whom dismissed the threat as hyperbole.
Senator Thomas R. Carper, a Delaware Democrat and the organizer of the trip, said they urged Karzai to make an appearance on an American television program such as “60 Minutes’’ to further explain some of his comments. “I will do it, I will do it,’’ Karzai told them, according to Carper....
I can't read anymore of this crapola, readers.
Brown and his colleagues also met with General Stanley A. McChrystal, the top military commander in Afghanistan; and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry. He also handed out
Also on the trip were Senator John Ensign, a Republican from Nevada....
Related: Ensign Resigns
He rode it out, huh?
In the conference call, Ensign said that American troops will probably have to be in the region for about 10 years and it will cost about $10 billion a year to maintain the presence.
Oh, I can see why the Globe never put this in print!
Of course, Obama told us we are LEAVING in 2011 after the surge, but.... !
“We do need to be honest with the American people: this is not going to be short term,’’ he said....
I think the Empire is going to collapse before then; there is no way they can keep this pace up without ending in complete and utter bankruptcy and destruction.
It was nice living in you when you were once a good country, America.
Good bye.
And as you can see, NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED at all!!
"Spending critic Brown backs Mass. weapons bid; Pentagon opposes costly GE engine" by Bryan Bender, Globe Staff | April 8, 2010
WASHINGTON — Senator Scott Brown says he will fight to fund a multibillion-dollar weapons program that could generate jobs in Massachusetts but that the Pentagon insists it does not need, sparking criticism that Brown is breaking his campaign vow to rein in wasteful spending.
The Bay State Republican’s support for General Electric’s bid to build a backup engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter puts the new senator in the middle of a confrontation over congressional earmarks with the Obama administration, which has threatened a presidential veto if Congress inserts funding for the engine for the fifth year in a row....
Related: Obama Cuts Defense Budget Less Than One Percent
MSM Xmas Gifts: War Profiteers
Yup, they always get their money, Americans.
Meanwhile, you wait for unemployment benefits.
Brown, who landed a coveted spot on the influential Armed Services Committee, joins other Massachusetts politicians who in the past have successfully advocated for GE’s jet engine, which could generate several hundred jobs at GE’s engine plant in Lynn.
But spending critics say Brown is abandoning his personal pledge to battle pork barrel spending in Washington.
“This is yet another example of how ‘fiscally responsible’ lawmakers have a giant blind spot when it comes to defense spending in their districts,’’ said Laura Peterson, a senior national security analyst at Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan budget watchdog group that monitors earmarks. “His support was clearly driven by parochial concerns rather than financial ones.’’
Related: Earmarks rule likely to have little effect
Also see: House Democrats Bite the Corporate Hand That Feeds Them
Oh, so the BIG POLITICAL PRODUCTION was a BIG PILE of POOP, huh?
“If Scott Brown helps out GE he will be doing exactly the opposite of what he said he would do when he ran,’’ said Loren Thompson, a defense budget specialist at the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Va., which is supported by multiple defense firms, including Pratt & Whitney.
The Pentagon since 2006 has said that the primary engine for the F-35, built by Pratt & Whitney, in East Hartford, Conn., is sufficient, and that producing a backup model will siphon away money that could be spent on other defense priorities.
By lending his support to the GE backup engine, Brown is mirroring a longstanding position of the late senator Edward M. Kennedy, whose seat Brown filled after a special election in January.
Related: Meet Your Antiwar New England Liberals
Yes, Ted was a real disappointment when you got past the thundering antiwar rhetoric.
Other supporters of the program said Brown’s support for the GE engine does not represent a shift on his campaign promises, because Brown believes the engine, notwithstanding the Pentagon’s position, is critical to US national security. Many in Congress have argued that establishing competition for the engine contracts could hold down costs in the future.
Brown was unavailable for an interview yesterday because he was traveling overseas.
Strange that the Globe decided to run this story when he was out of the country, 'eh?
Brown has hammered at the federal government for needlessly spending taxpayers’ money....
He is no different than the rest of them.
The fight over the backup engine, which remains in the design phase and is opposed by Pratt & Whitney, promises to heat up again this year. GE and Pratt & Whitney have hired retired generals to lobby on their behalf, and GE has accused Pratt & Whitney of secretly funding a watchdog group that is highly critical of the GE engine.
How do you fix this system, readers?
I think its beyond fixing; maybe best to scrap it and start over.
Both Pratt & Whitney and the group, Citizens Against Government Waste, declined to say whether they have a financial relationship....
Despite the negative reviews, the Massachusetts congressional delegation has been instrumental in keeping the program alive.
I'm sorry my s***ter legislators are looting you blind, America.
Kennedy was one of its biggest champions.
Related: Ted Kennedy's Legacy
Is that something of which to be proud?
A far cry from his brothers.
And Senator John F. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, played a key role in securing nearly $500 million for the program last year, saying that it was critical to the local economy, and that having an alternate engine would foster much-needed competition in the Joint Strike Fighter program. The program is the largest such program in history, with 2,443 planes set to be built by
Kerry said he plans to push again to secure, or “earmark,’’ funding for the project. “I’ve already been on the phone with the White House, [Office of Management and Budget], and the Pentagon,’’ he said.
Yeah, great: Ted Kennedy Still Costing the Country
Going deaf yet, America?
Representative John Tierney, a Salem Democrat whose district includes the GE plant, has strongly defended the program....
And he is supposed to be an "antiwar" Democrat.
Yet the secretaries of defense in both the Bush and Obama administrations, and the military’s top generals, have insisted for years that they simply cannot afford to finance development of a second engine.
“We have reached a critical point in this debate where spending more money on a second engine for the [F-35] is unnecessary, wasteful, and simply diverts precious modernization funds from more pressing [military] priorities,’’ William J. Lynn, the deputy secretary of defense, told Congress in a February memo.
Related: Obama's Exception
And somehow, the military will get the money.--more--"
So what is Brownie doing now that he is back home?
"Immigrant students seek meeting with Brown; Seek more rights for undocumented" by Russell Contreras, Associated Press | April 9, 2010
A coalition of undocumented immigrant students is seeking a meeting with US Senator Scott Brown, saying they hope to better acquaint him with their issues since the loss of one of their strongest advocates and Brown’s predecessor, the late Edward M. Kennedy.
Representatives for the groups, Harvard Act on a Dream and the Student Immigrant Movement, said yesterday they believe their online petition and letter-writing campaign eventually could lead to a private meeting between them and Brown before immigration overhaul is debated in Congress.
Related: Illegal Amnesty Next On Obama's Agenda
Yup, they are doing it again.
Renata Teodoro, a 22-year-old undocumented student who has lived in the United States for 16 years, said the goal is for Brown, a Republican, to hear out the students and to meet a constituency group that rarely seeks public attention....
Really?
Agenda-pushing paper sure promotes their protests every chance they get!
"Rally set to push immigration overhaul
Activists are planning to rally tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the State House to lobby against budget cuts and to build momentum for an overhaul of immigration policy in Washington.
Yeah, but the constituency rarely seeks public attention.
Pffft!
The advocates, led by the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, say they want state lawmakers to keep the needs of immigrants in mind as they make difficult budget decisions in the months ahead. Activists said they also want to help build support for immigrants as the US Senate is poised to introduce immigration overhaul legislation (AP)."
Taking another bite at that apple, huh?
They really don't give a s*** what we think out here, huh?
And they wonder why we are furious?
You Republicans want control of Congress you better filibuster that f***er!
