…and goodness knows that your average conservative has quite a bit to say about any Republican who can win a statewide election in Massachusetts. I’ve done some muttering myself. But this must have been hysterical to watch:
With fiscal negotiations consuming Washington, Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick opted to use his remarks at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate to scold the “conservative movement, so-called,” for “sapping the optimism out of our country,” positing Kennedy as the quintessential optimist.
That led to Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., taking the stage in an unadvertised appearance, addressing Kennedy’s widow, Vicki, and grinning, “I told you I’d come. Little surprise to everybody, isn’t it?”
Brown, elected to replace Kennedy last year in a historic stunner, said, “Me of all people, I understand the large shoes I have to fill.” He praised Kennedy’s knack for working across the aisle for compromise, then looked at Patrick and addressed him directly: “I have to go and do the people’s business, Governor, as you referenced. There are good people who do want to move things forward, regardless of their political party.”
Now, it’s politics – and 21st Century American politics, at that; so you can’t expect public smackdowns between politicians to involve pistols and canes and knife fights in hotels. But this is fairly strong stuff, by the standards of these civilized times. Especially when you consider that Governor Patrick has no intention whatsoever of running against Brown next year; which is a sentiment apparently shared by most of the Massachusetts Democratic party…
Moe Lane
(Via AoSHQ Headlines, and they really need a better way to link to those.)