Free Republic

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker cautioned that a health care bill proposed by U.S. Senate Republicans would cost 264,000 state residents their health coverage and have a cumulative negative impact of more than $8.2 billion on the state by 2025, while Sen. Edward Markey described defeating the bill as the legislative fight of his life. In a letter to the state's all-Democrat Congressional delegation, Baker, a Republican, wrote that the bill would "increasingly strain the state's fiscal resources, result in greater numbers of individuals without insurance and destabilize the commercial insurance market." He separately joined Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe in urging...

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who campaigned for Sarah Palin (oh, and John McCain) in 2008 is now complaining that the former governor is distracting media attention from Mitt Romney. On a recent episode of "The View," Hasselbeck used an interesting analogy to argue that the hockey mom's "One Nation" tour was stealing the thunder from Romney's plan to improve the economy. "If I had termites in my house I'd get someone in there who could deal with it," the former winner of "Survivor" explained. "Mitt Romney, right now, his specialty is the economy. I'd have him in there. Here's why we're not...

Really irritating, and I say that knowing it’ll damage my cherished RINO cred. From his letter tonight to Reid and McConnell: I am disappointed that despite passing six different FY 2011 Continuing Resolutions, each with the understanding that passage would move bi-partisan negotiations further along, that we are once again faced with the likelihood of a government shutdown. A government shutdown absolutely serves no purpose and is in no one’s best interests. I stand ready to work with each of you, to do what it takes—and to put politics aside—and work on behalf of a greater good to ensure that...

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown said he has no plans to run for president next year, but will support Mitt Romney if the former Republican Massachusetts governor jumps in the race.

Though his win last year was heralded as an early victory for the tea party, Sen. Scott Brown said Tuesday that he doesn’t think of himself as part of the movement. “I’m a Republican, period,” the Massachusetts senator said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “I have respect for the tea party. I’m a fiscal conservative – I always have been. When you talk about national security, I’m a hawk, probably more than anybody that I know in Massachusetts.” On other issues, however, Brown said, “I’m not a social crusader. I’m going to keep an open mind on each and every issue.”...

"You're talking about being an ideologue? If you're looking for one, I'm not it," said Sen. Scott Brown. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) said he doesn't consider himself a member of the Tea Party movement and would welcome any primary challenger. Brown, the Republican senator from deep-blue Massachusetts whose win in a special election last year in part catalyzed the Tea Party movement, said he considers himself just a Republican, though one with sympathies toward some Tea Party issues. "Hey, nothing wrong with a primary. I welcome all challengers," Brown said Tuesday morning on MSNBC. He said Monday evening that he...

Scott Brown rejects Tea Party, says it’s not productive to criticize Obama. When Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts was elected to serve the remainder of the term of the deceased Ted Kennedy last year, conservatives had decent hopes for him. After all, Brown nationalized his election battle by saying that he would vote against Obamacare. That pledge brought him huge support from the Tea Party, which worked hard to help him get elected. Since then, however, Brown has revealed himself to be what he truly is: a RINO Republican who does much of the Democrats’ bidding. With that in mind,...