In praise of Scott Brown

By Michael J.W. Stickings

And four other Republican senators, who yesterday voted with the Democrats to move the Democrats' jobs bill forward in the Senate.

But let's not go too far. It's not like the GOP was on board with this, and it's not like the bill goes far enough.

The other four Republicans were the two centrist Maine senators, Snowe and Collins, and two retiring senators, Voinovich of Ohio and Bond of Missouri, neither of whom must now face the wrath of the far right mainstream of their party.

And it's just a $15 billion bill, not the $85 billion alternative that was being discussed (and that was bipartisan but that lacked firm Republican support and included too many concessions to centrists). (For more on the inadequacy of this smaller effort, see Bill Scher at HuffPo.)

Still, it's better than nothing, and Brown's vote is a positive sign that there may now be a small group of GOP senators who are prepared to work with Democrats to get things done.