'"We're past campaign mode: I think it's important for everyone to get
some form of health care," Brown told a news conference Wednesday
morning. "So to offer a basic plan for everybody I think is important.
It's just a question of whether we're going to raise taxes, we're going
to cut a half at trillion from Medicare, we're going to affect veterans'
care. I think we can do it better."
"We have 98 percent of our people insured here," he said at another
point. "We know what we need to fix it."'
-- Senator-Elect Scott Brown (R-MA)
RomneyCare is on its way. You can listen to Scott Brown attempt to
explain why RomneyCare isn't the same as ObamaCare here:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/scott-brown-insists-romneycare-and-obamacare-two-different-programs.php
It never ceases to amaze me how easily people are fooled.
for Liberty,
Chris Edes
***
Massachusetts's Brown speaks out on health care, bipartisanship
By Karl Vick
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 20, 2010; 2:23 PM
BOSTON -- Scott Brown said he expects to be seated quickly in the U.S.
Senate, but he was conciliatory on the question of what he will do
there, noting that he voted for universal health insurance coverage in
Massachusetts and wanted his election to encourage a new bipartisanship
in Washington.
"We're past campaign mode: I think it's important for everyone to get
some form of health care," Brown told a news conference Wednesday
morning. "So to offer a basic plan for everybody I think is important.
It's just a question of whether we're going to raise taxes, we're going
to cut a half at trillion from Medicare, we're going to affect veterans'
care. I think we can do it better."
"We have 98 percent of our people insured here," he said at another
point. "We know what we need to fix it."
Brown said he would travel to Washington on Thursday to make a courtesy
call on placeholder Democrat Paul Kirk, who was appointed by Gov. Deval
Patrick after the August death of Edward M. Kennedy. Because Brown's
margin of victory was greater than the number of absentee votes that
still await counting, Brown asked commonwealth secretary William Galvin
to forward his name to the Senate immediately, rather than wait for the
result to become official, so that he can be seated quickly.
"Since the election is not in doubt, I'm hopeful that the Senate will
seat me on the basis of those unofficial returns," the candidate said.
Brown and aides signaled that probably would happen.
"I look forward to getting to work right away," Brown said.
The two-term state senator, who said he was operating on no sleep, spoke
of being moved by the populist surge that swept him onto the
international stage. "It's not only overwhelming, I can't tell you how
proud I am to be here," he said.
But in governance mode, behind a lectern labeled "Scott Brown US
Senate," the Republican already was wrestling with the tensions inherent
in the issues awaiting him in Washington. Exhibit A was the
health-reform bill that Brown said to his mind was not really the
central issue in his campaign.
"I've obviously tried to do some self-reflection and analyzing this as
to why I'm standing before you today," he said. "And really, the number
one thing I've heard is that people are tired of the business as usual.
"And what does that mean? That means that behind-the-scenes deals, the
Nebraska subsidizing of Medicaid forever -- things like that have just
driven people crazy."
When laying out his thoughts on the health-care legislation, however, a
central complaint was the cost to Massachusetts.
"And if I can just be the 41st senator and bring it back to the drawing
board, there are some very good things in the national plan that's being
proposed, but if you look at -- and really almost in a parochial manner
-- we need to look out for Massachusetts first," he said. "I felt as a
legislator and as a citizen, that we haven't done that very well -- that
we've always kind of thought about maybe Washington first or the party
first. But the thing I'm hearing all throughout the state is, 'What
about us?' "
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/20/AR2010012002822.html
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