"Independent" Scott Brown Says He's Beholden To Grover Norquist's Anti-Tax Pledge

In last week's debate Sen. Scott Brown threw away his "independent" cloak and touted Antonin Scalia as a "model Supreme Court justice." [1]

For some reason, Brown decided he wasn't clear enough how unindependent he is

So in yesterday's debate [2], he equated himself with Grover Norquist, the man behind the "the pledge" [3] preventing Republicans from accepting higher taxes on the wealthy in any deficit reduction deal.

After Elizabeth Warren criticized him for refusing to accept higher taxes on "millionaires, billionaires and oil companies," Brown didn't flinch, saying "I'm glad Grover Norquist agrees with me."

The man who claims to be bipartisan, who claims to believe in compromise to solve problems, made crystal clear that he embraces a radically rigid pledge to never raise taxes on anyone -- no matter how wealthy -- and no corporation -- no matter how profitable -- even if we are in, in Scott Brown's own words in that very same response, a "fiscal emergency."

Scott always had an undeserved reputation as an bipartisan independent, having rarely written or voted for any significant bipartisan legislation. But the reputation has kept him competitive in the state.

Inexplicably, Brown is throwing that reputation away.

Good for him. He's giving Massachusetts a clearer choice, between someone who will back judges like Elena Kagan and will raise taxes on multimillionaires, or some one who will back judges like Antonin Scalia and will keep taxes low for multimillionaires no matter what.