“Republicans In Name Only” are somewhat of a new phenomenon in politics. They are closet Liberals that campaign as Conservatives in order to get more right wingers to vote for them. Ultimately it is usually Independents that make the difference, but that is not the point of this week’s column.

In January of 2010, Scott Brown defeated Martha Coakley in a landslide Senate election in the state of Massachusetts. This ended the democratic super majority and made the Republicans relevant again. How did he do it? How did a Republican win in the state that gave us JFK, Robert Kennedy, and Teddy? What does this election mean for the American people?

Let’s start with attitude. During questioning on Capital Hill, a democratic committee member asked Mr. Brown, “What makes you qualified to fill the Ted Kennedy seat in the United States Senate?” Mr. Brown prefaced his answer by stating, “It’s not the Ted Kennedy seat, it’s the people’s seat!” This brief statement extended his lead in the polls and sparked his stunning and overwhelming victory. For too long, Massachusetts has been ruled by anyone with a “D” after their name. Democrats thought they could run a convicted felon and there was no way they could lose, as long as she was a Democrat. How brazen is it to think that the Senate seat is some kind of right to the Democrats and that they could run someone that was convicted of corporate bank fraud? The President himself got his jab in by joking that being a United States Senator is not like driving a pick-up truck. Ummmm, so because Mr. Brown drives a pick-up truck he is not qualified to be a senator? I waited for the press to ask the President what he meant by that remark, but as usual they let me down. The President soon found out that attitude + karma = democratic panic and, oh yeah, a lot of people in Massachusetts drive pick-up trucks Mr. President!

So what does it all mean? President Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi thought they had two solid years to do whatever they wanted without republican filibuster or needing a single conservative vote. Oops! No one expected anyone to die in office and it’s always been believed that the Senate seat in Massachusetts is a gift from God down from heaven to anyone that worships the donkey. Not so anymore? Unfortunately, Scott Brown turned out to be a “RINO.” He has voted in lock step with the Dems on almost every ridiculous bill put forth by Obama to date. I originally wrote this column one week after the special election that Scott Brown won, but I did not want to post it until I had a voting record to back my opinion either way. I don’t mind at all that Senator Brown is not in lock step with the Republican side of politics. The question that makes my head hurt is, “How can a politician portray himself to have views that he clearly doesn’t believe in just to get votes?” The simple answer is: he’s a politician! Does that make it ok? Politics as usual? I am always preaching from my soap box to research a candidate’s voting record. If you’re a Conservative, that is the only way I can think of to avoid electing a “RINO.”