Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D., R.I.) had words for the decision by Sen. Scott Brown (R., Mass.) [man, that feels good –eds.] to push for an early seating:
“Brown’s whole candidacy was shown to be a joke today when he was sworn in early in order to cast his first vote as an objection to Obama’s appointment to the NLRB,” Kennedy said Thursday.
Kennedy was referencing some Democrats’ thoughts that Brown tried to bump up his swearing-in in order to give Republicans 41 votes, enough to filibuster the nomination of Craig Becker, a controversial nominee to join the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
“Seven out of ten of Brown’s voters were labor households and he stressed that he was independent and while he was originally scheduled to be sworn in next week, they moved it up to today so he could cast his first vote, the most anti-labor, the most anti-what his constituents thought they were voting for when they voted for him,” Kennedy said.
Brown, for his part, has denied trying to move up his nomination to block Becker’s nomination.
“This is where he shows that when they need him, he’s in the tank for the Republicans,” Kennedy said.
UPDATE: A reader points me to this excellent video of a young, then-candidate Edward Moore Kennedy, his voice aquiver, facing the accusation that his own candidacy was a laughing matter.