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Mass. senator discusses launching his reelection campaign, why he is a 'bridge-builder' in a divided Congress
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Senator nice to see is there.
Hey thank you and happy -- year.
Happy new area but two years ago on fast have -- not to do the first elected.
And I know I can't believe -- my wife and I were talking this morning sometimes it feels like ten years other days it feels like it's you know a couple months ago.
I -- off and run for the next step for for November and so let me get right to it out.
In terms so but last two years -- was -- a long time but what are you proudest of in terms of legislative achievement for the people of the state of Massachusetts.
-- -- just the doing exactly what I -- I do which is to be that independent voter and thinker I'm clearly the most bipartisan person in the entire delegation.
And the most if not the most totally in the entire United States senate and I think that's.
Very important because there are plenty of ideologues on -- -- of partisan folks.
But there's very few problem solve as a which I consider -- look at the Arlington cemetery billion look at the 3% withholding.
-- we're here veterans bill that was just passed those -- my bills.
There's a whole host of things that I've done and have been that you refer to for 41 vote for the sixtieth vote but I've always tried to move our country forward in my -- and other.
-- what's -- -- -- difference with Elizabeth Warren -- -- -- that she will be your candidate in November.
At what's your sharpest difference with her.
There there are many clear differences.
Really she is a self proclaimed rock thrower who wants to leave blunt teeth on the floor.
I -- bridge builder and problem -- as evidenced by my a long history of working with people of goodwill on both sides of the aisle.
Listen she's a very intelligent hard working.
Academic and that being said.
-- that kind of comes I think a little different way of looking at things I wanna.
Work forward to pride opportunities for.
Individuals and businesses create that that tax and regulatory certainty and she wants to put more and more.
Government interference in your lives -- more regulation.
Just.
They've -- -- very clear difference and I'm I'm anxious to start to Begin the campaign.
Is there might add anything since you -- first elected to deny any any positions changed.
Now now I feel very comfortable where I'm mad I read the bills I understand them -- see how they affect Massachusetts are our country our debt -- deficit I'd vote regardless of party.
I'm one of the probably the few people that down -- that in fact does that.
And there -- times and I'm gonna be with the Democrats are times I'm going to be with the Republicans.
But bottom line is I always have Massachusetts interest at heart in our country's interest at heart and that's very very important at this time down there.
Because as you know they don't talk to there.
There always -- shutting down the government for some reason or another.
And I am always -- -- -- solve those problems and move our country forward.
Why -- you voting against the antipiracy.
Act.
Well for that listened -- there -- -- concerns obviously about the -- that of the fact that people are in fact stealing our intellectual property.
And not to -- the folks and actually have earned the right to be paid number one.
On the other hand you have to balance that with the rights and considerations and -- the free market and and really the first amendment's.
In the years and -- growth of the Internet so.
I'm looking forward to getting back to try to come up with a compromise I know that -- -- senator hatch and Leahy and others have.
Have tried to do something at least put it out there but it's very very clear that it needs to be fixed.
-- just as it hasn't just arisen in the last 24 r.s are 36 -- 48 hours.
Why have you mailed to work -- a compromise before than because -- lines are clearly drawn in this in the San.
And people are very passion on both sides in this would have been a good opportunity come up with a solution prior to now.
Well -- we weren't ahead as you know we've been on break for a period of time it only we only found out a week and a half ago that in fact -- -- majority leader was going to bring it up.
First we we actually heard of it.
That being said did something that I've been working on -- for a couple of months trying to learn.
Meeting with the enemies in businesses and individuals that are involved in the issues trying to understand what and how we can move the bill forward.
As you know -- probably because you're down there you know that the leader brings up a bill he moves the closure shuts up amendments SF debating rams it through.
It's not gonna pass this is you gonna do it for political theater actually try to solve a problem and that's what I'm anxious to get back and try to figure out -- of that.
In fact that's what's gonna happen.
-- say that goes with lines of -- or so to speak they just said that.
We just describe senatorial leader Harry Reid is having political.
Theater have you ever tried to sort of sit him down and get him -- because that's about as a -- and about door to this to the senatorial and I could try to work -- out with him talk they did talk forever.
I'm sure of course us and I was that deciding vote in his first jobs bill if you remember -- nineteen million dollar judge bill.
They're a whole host of other things that I worked on Dodd-Frank Don't Ask Don't Tell the start -- things that in fact.
But not with my support they never would have seen the light of day so of course I speak to -- leader but everybody knows on both sides of the -- because -- -- jobs.
Package the president had pushed they were bipartisan rejection and a bipartisan manner as a matter of fact the only two pieces -- actually pastor might.
Portions of the judge who was in the 3% -- and they -- an era veterans bill.
So where we can work together we're going to do it in when he lets us move forward together as a as a senator -- unified and allows us to work to our problems we passed -- a hundred to nothing but when he throws things out just for commercials in November which he's been doing a lot lately.
It's it's very frustrating and it's hurtful to our country because we're Americans first.
And we need to work together in this moment in time to actually solve our country's problems and I'm eager to start to work -- those.
People of goodwill of which there are some down -- to do just that.
Is that a fair -- both sides of the I'll that there are a lot of things done simply for political reasons not -- -- For the for the big picture for the best Americans is that -- your observation that two years you've been here.
Yeah I've -- only -- yes more recently obviously because the election cycle this clicking and the president's in campaign mode it seems like both sides -- -- are also in campaign mode.
When they Republicans held up -- unemployment benefits and payroll tax deductions you know for for really what I felt for no good reason I.
Let them know that I thought it was and -- disgusting.
The way that Harry and the majority leader and others are playing political theater with a lot of the things that it that in fact if we actually had a chance to work on them -- actually pass.
But they don't want they want to score political points unfortunately bit.
Listen I'm I'm -- hopeful guy hours have been.
And I'm gonna continue to work with those good Democrats and -- -- Republicans to form a coalition as a matter of fact we're working we're gonna take the best of the Republicans the Democrats in the -- bills.
And take them out all the things we agree on and push them forward a new effort to try to get them past I think that's a good first move.
What's democratic senators -- you work with.
A senator carper is really wonderful is like an older brother -- -- we set I'm on the ranking member on after FM with him which is a committee dealing with fraud waste and abuse.
You get Casey Warner clover -- they had the Udall cousins.
You know Bennett from Colorado on our side we've got through and you know Portman Toomey rubio.
A just just good people who were trying to do the right thing and those of the folks in almost close -- them we continue to try to form coalitions to.
In -- move our country forward.
-- a position on the Keystone Pipeline.
-- I think it's a no brainer we need to step back from our dependence on foreign oil.
And in cantor is gonna develop that technology that we get it from Canada who is a -- of our as if not the most.
Best trading partner in the region I'd rather developed that north south relationship in the east west relationship because.
What we're paying might have to communities and countries that want to kill us I don't think that's a good thing and we gonna pay for -- as it comes.
Over a chatter is just added -- gonna send it to China and then we're gonna have to pay for it directly and it's -- we need to develop the jobs number one.
We need we have the technology to do it and we need to try to -- you know.
Develop our own energy plan so we can step back from our dependence of foreign oil wind solar nuclear Hydro geo thermal coal.
Citing fermenting conservation it's a whole.
The whole range of -- and we're doing nothing unfortunately.
It's just -- -- -- that frustrating.
You know -- -- Greta I just have to get us talking in my life from his my my really my Guiding Light in this situation this morning and I'd say 80% of its really find solving problems in dealing with situations because I've always been a problem -- I always been -- hopeful.
Person who believes in the greatness of our country we live in the greatest country in the world.
That being said I live and I think the greatest thing in the country.
And because we're -- -- state and we do things a lot I think different than other parts of the country so that being said.
Yeah 80% of its define the 20% -- Qaeda.
Political theater in the games they play when we're clearly in a financial emergency clearly need to work together it's exceedingly frustrating.
How about that one last question.
-- and when -- lose this weekend.
Well listen I I love the -- that's -- -- -- right lot of yeah -- listen go pats and that's certainly.
If if people want to support them I'm all for it it was a great game last week at that.
You know we stood up stood up and stepped up what do you gonna hopefully do the same thing before -- check -- I wanna just say people who go to Scott Brown dot com and learn more about.
The issues they can help they can and donate -- can -- a whole host of things but.
-- clearly there's gonna this is one of the biggest races if not the biggest race in the country in.
Voters are gonna have a very clear choice of where there's this state where this country's gonna go in the next a couple years.
Senate -- and other than that many times between now and November and of course we'll also invite that your opponent -- well thank senator.
Well you're the first I've been -- here today with you where their elections so here we go there and I'm very flattered I'm -- thank you -- Very but I.
