Scott Brown apparently thinks helping conservative Southern senators is more important than helping Massachusetts:
A Senate bill that extended unemployment benefits, funded summer jobs and provided cash to balance state budgets is no more after a Republican-led filibuster couldn’t be broken. Senator Scott Brown supported the fillibuster – he once voted against one – to prevent increasing the deficit.
The Senate bill provided $700 million in federal aid to Massachusetts that was expected to help fund the fiscal 2011 budget. Sen. John Kerry said it was a “terrible blow” to the state to lose it. Remember when Brown said, as the Boston Globe reported, “I’ll look at every bill for its merits and how it affects our state and then I’ll make a decision” on January 20? Bostonist will need someone to explain the merits of losing $700 million to us.
While complaining about waste is always popular, lots of people in MA want jobs–they need jobs. Budgets are already cut to the bone. We don’t need more Herbert Hoovers. If the Democrats can’t pound him on this, then we need better Democrats.