Courage

On Monday, Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) voted to end a Republican filibuster of a $15 billion dollar jobs bill. On Tuesday, conservative groups trashed him for his vote.

Conservatives who trashed the Senator with name calling such as “Benedict Brown” are out of touch with why he was elected. He was not elected to advance an ideologically pure conservative agenda. Rather, he was elected to bring an independent voice of reason to Washington and break the partisan gridlock that has paralyzed the legislative process.

The problem with politics in Washington is that both parties refuse to sit down and compromise because they are held hostage by ideological purists. The Right’s vitriol with the “Benedict Brown” label disgusts this writer. And the Left is no better when it claims that the White House has a “loser mentality” for not backing a public option for health care reform.

The reason why nothing happens in Washington is because radical ideologues seek to advance their narrow minded interests and not the interests of the people. We need more Senators like Scott Brown who have the courage to put politics aside and do what is best for the people.