Scott Brown is a co-sponsor to the Blunt bill that allows any employer

[karynnj]

Last edited Tue Feb 14, 2012, 09:38 AM - Edit history (1)

to not cover anything that he feels he can't in good conscience.

UPDATE II: Here’s the response from John Donnelly, a spokesman for Senator Scott Brown:

“Senator Brown appreciates President Obama’s willingness to revisit this issue, but believes it needs to be clarified through legislation. The senator signed onto bipartisan legislation that writes a conscience exemption into law, which is an important step toward ensuring that religious liberties are always protected.”

UPDATE III: Brown spokesman Donnelly confirms that the Senator supports GOP Rep. Blunt’s legislation

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/birth-control-as-wedge-issue-against-gop-ctd/2012/02/13/gIQAlQbdBR_blog.html

AND he against Obama's budget and for a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Brown, R-Mass., however, released a brief statement indicating that he opposes tax increases called for in the president's budget, including the president's proposal to end the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest earners.

“We can do better than a budget that runs a trillion-dollar deficit and raises taxes in the midst of an economic downturn,” Mr. Brown said, pointing to Europe, where, he said, “nation after nation is in crisis as a result of this tax and spend mindset.”

http://www.telegram.com/article/20120213/NEWS/120219852/1116

Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., called for fiscal discipline and supported a balanced budget amendment after President Barack Obama's proposed budget for the 2013 fiscal year was released Monday.
<snip>
A Republican-backed balanced budget amendment failed to pass in the U.S. House and Senate. A two-thirds majority vote is needed to amend the U.S. Constitution. After voting for the amendment in December, Brown said the amendment would make the federal government live within its means. Democrats opposed the amendment, saying it would put the government in a fiscal straightjacket making it unable to respond to economic cycles, wars or natural disasters.

http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/02/sen_scott_brown_calls_for_fisc.html

Maybe he thought by taking all three of these positions in one day, that there would not be as much total reaction as there would taking them on three different days.

He also is backing a pandering bill that gives more Visas to the Irish - that seems to be backfiring as so many people are unemployed - that was announced last week. http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2012/02/scott-brown-pushes-irish-immigration-bill/Lhhdp3dmq18sUJxZL5mnBN/index.html

Before this, I worried that his grandstanding and the credit he gets from the entire MA media, along with political skill in jumping onto high profile issues - and declaring that his work made them happen, would make him hard to defeat.

[elleng]

1. SOMEONE is gonna kick brown's ***!!!

[karynnj]

2. I sure hope so

I will be interested to see the MA people here comment, but I can't believe that this won't really cause independents to reject Brown. The entire idea of a balanced budget amendment is so stupid - leaving the federal government with no way to deal with emergencies.

The Blunt amendment is horrible.

[div class = "excerpt"]
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., has called Obama’s revised plan an “accounting gimmick.’’ He introduced legislation last week that would exempt any organization with moral objections from providing birth control. McConnell said he expects such a bill would be vetoed by the president but that he still wanted a vote “as soon as possible.’’

http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-12/news/31052605_1_catholic-bishops-religious-freedoms-catholic-health-association/2

There are some that say this creates a loophole bigger than just birth control.
[div class= "excerpt"]
According to the National Women’s Law Center, Blunt’s amendment (PDF) actually goes a lot farther than contraception, creating a loophole that allows any employer to exclude any health service.

“For example, any corporation whose CEO opposes contraception based on his ‘moral convictions’ could deny all coverage of contraception or any other service to the company’s employees,” the center observed. “Even more disturbing, a CEO’s view of ‘morality’ could potentially include concern for the cost of a particular benefit. Such broad, undefined refusals (without any protections for the insured) would result in millions of individuals losing vital health service coverage.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/12/mcconnell-any-employer-should-be-able-to-deny-birth-control/

[WCGreen]

15. If this passes, watch every CEO convert to Christian Science and deny all health care....

[Thinkingabout]

3. I hope ElizabethWarren helps Scott pack

She should take him to the cleaners on this bill. The reps has run the oc off in the ditch and trying to take us over the cliff. Go Elizabeth!!!!!!

[madamesilverspurs]

4. Hello, Senator Warren!!! n/t

[MrSlayer]

5. Heck of a job Brownie.

See ya later buddy. I'd say it was fun but I'd be lying.

[The Doctor.]

6. "I'm sorry, but you believe in the power of prayer...

Therefore it's not in the interest of the company to cover you for your condition given that you've chosen an alternative coverage. Good luck."

[karynnj]

9. Interesting - is the next step that they do not cover the pregnacies of single moms?

Sex outside of marriage is also against their moral views. Maybe they might cover it only if the couple marry.

[The Doctor.]

11. No. Being the employer, I'd be fine with that. n/t

[Selatius]

7. I believe the greater headache, still, is that Scott Brown even won in Massachusetts.

No politician should ever feel entitled to a political seat if they do not run a top-notch campaign. I disagree with Brown's politics entirely, but he actually went out there and talked to people. He did run the better campaign despite having appalling political views.

[LynneSin]

17. He became a lame duck the minute after he was elected

Martha Coakley assumed she would win without really doing any campaigning and it was right after the Obama win when the tea party first came into prominence.

Scott Brown will lose big next election no matter what he does. Massachusetts will elect the occassional republican but usually regret it soon after and they'll fix their mistake next election.

[malaise]

8. Here's a nice response

http://www.thedailyshow.com/

[Arkana]

10. Here's hoping Warren releases a statement, regardless of what the MA Catholic Church thinks.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

12. I was sure this was going to be about weed... n/t

[Romulox]

13. Oh PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Mr. Corporation--PLEASE give me my healthcare!

Thank GAWD it passed!

[ProSense]

14. Brown

is a clown. He spent the last few weeks trying to portray himself as a moderate. Now, he jumps in bed with the far right.

With Collins and Snowe coming out in support of Obama's policy, Warren can pounce on him.

[LynneSin]

16. So my boss is now capable of making medical decisions for me

What a crock of shit (but no disrespect to my boss - he's pretty cool)