Having It Both Ways

Larison describes Brown's cognitive dissonance - on his continuing to support the Massachusetts health care reform but oppose the national plan:

Brown is trying to occupy both sides of the health care debate at the same time even as he seems to claim that there is no contradiction in doing so.

Both Massachusetts voters and national Republicans have reason to wonder which side he will eventually take when it comes time to vote on the bill. Most likely, as a freshman Senator he will fall in line with whatever the leadership says. He is being quite plain about his opposition to the federal bill, but I wonder whether voters will find his inevitable party-line voting to be at odds with his claim to represent “all independent-thinking citizens.”

Kain responds:

Rather than promise to filibuster health reform, I wish Brown would bring some of the experience he has had with Massachusetts reform to the table and work to strengthen the bill. That he will not is my only sticking point against Brown, but it is a very substantial sticking point.