Policy

What Sort of Health Care Reform Does Scott Brown Actually Support?

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At this point, exactly where Scott Brown stands on health care policy is a matter of significant interest. He ran against the Democratic reform plan, but he also spoke favorably of the Massachusetts' system, which is virtually identical to what President Obama and Congressional Democrats have proposed.

In a press conference just a few minutes ago, Scott Brown mentioned in passing that he supports some kind of basic plan for everyone, but was against the Medicare cuts, tax hikes, and massive spending now being proposed. He followed this answer by letting another reporter know that he hadn't slept much—the implication being that he could really use a couple hours of shut eye.

Presumably, the first answer stemmed from the second, because it doesn't make much sense. Policies that employ the machinations of government to expand coverage cost money. But it might also be a signal that Brown is open to some kind of scaled-back compromise plan. I can't think of what that would be, but I'd guess Democratic leadership is making every effort to find out.