Scott Brown a YES on jobs bill

By GottaLaff

This is nice, but I, for one, am not counting on him for anything, ever:

Aides to Sen. Scott Brown (R) says he intends to vote with Democrats on the Reid jobs bill.

This is a procedural vote, known as cloture, which moves the legislation to the next stage. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs to attract some Republican support to reach the 60-vote threshold. Not only did Democrats lose their supermajority, but Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) is undergoing cancer treatment and will not be present to vote.

His letter is here.

Per Markos, he just voted for the bill. Touche.

And also via Markos:

And that's the Republican votes Dems needed. RT @joanmccarter: Collins Aye on the jobs bill.

Brown: "I hope my vote today is a strong step toward restoring bipartisanship in Washington". Exactly why the teabaggers supported him!

UPDATE, via joanmccarter:

Snowe votes aye on jobs bill.

And #4 (h/t: Wonk Room):

Voinovich votes for jobs bill- 4th GOP to do so.

Sidebar: If you missed the remarks from his daughter about following in Daddy's footsteps and posing nude herself, I posted that earlier here.

Video- Glenn Beck on Scott Brown: 'Could end with a dead intern'

h/t pigboy for telling me about this, via Ben. Anyone else kind of bothered about how much talk there is about Brown's looks? Seems rather sexist to me.

Florida senator Mel Martinez to resign seat immediately

WTF?

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Florida, will announce that he is resigning his seat, three Republican sources have told CNN.

Earlier this year, Martinez said he would not run for re-election in 2010. Under Florida law covering a Senate resignation, Republican Gov. Charlie Crist will get to appoint a successor until the next general election. Crist himself is running for that seat.

2 key Republican senators to oppose Sotomayor for high court

At least Cornyn admits his decision is political, wonder what in the world could make Hatch say no. But hey, keep this and the Gates shit up and not even tanned people will vote Republican again. (except maybe Boehner)

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Two key Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee announced their opposition to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Friday, a further sign the party's conservative base is uniting against President Barack Obama's first high court pick.

Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah — the former chairman of the committee — and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas — head of the party's Senate campaign committee — announced on the Senate floor their intention to vote against the 55-year-old federal appeals court judge.

Hatch's decision came as somewhat of a surprise. The veteran Republican has voted for every high court nominee in his 32-year Senate career — including President Bill Clinton's two liberal choices, Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer.

Hatch had praised Sotomayor's "credentials and experience" and the fact she would be the first Hispanic justice. But despite the nominee's compelling life story, Hatch said that controversial off-the-bench comments by Sotomayor troubled him.

Senator Judd Gregg Pondering Commerce Post

As Oliver said the other day, Obama is playing above anyone else's game.

According to First Read, the possible nomination of Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) as President Obama's secretary of commerce is "very real."

"Senate Republicans are upset that he hasn't put the story to bed. So clearly he's pondering. One sticking point is that New Hampshire has a Dem governor, John Lynch, and that could give Democrats 60 seats if Gregg leaves and Al Franken eventually wins. One idea floating out there is a deal between Obama/Gregg and Lynch to appoint a caretaker Republican (perhaps ex-Sen. Warren Rudman?). Even if he doesn't take the job, Gregg is certainly sending the signal that he doesn't want to run in 2010. That is a terrible sign for the Senate GOP. Another retirement makes the idea of netting a single seat in 2010 nearly impossible. This likely outcome in 2010 actually could mean Lynch and Obama are open to a deal that keeps a Republican in the seat until November 2010, since getting that 60th senate seat in the coming years seems probable."

CQ Politics quotes Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) saying the appointment would be "a pretty sneaky, sneaky move to get a really good person as Commerce secretary and put us in a bind politically."

Yet another Republican bites the dust?

By GottaLaff

The GOP is in flux once again:

Marc Ambinder reports "more unnamed Republicans are suggesting" that two-term Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) "was on the verge of making the decision to step down. Perhaps they're trying to pressure him to step down; former Rep. Rob Portman would be ready to run to take his place."

Mel Martinez (R-FL) won't seek re-election

Tasty. I'm think Senator Kendrick Meek? Guess he must be leaving early 'cause it's just no fun to be in the minority.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez plans a major announcement in Orlando shortly and a highly-placed Republican source says Martinez will announce that he's not seeking re-election and that he may leave his seat in advance of the end of his term in 2010. That would open the door for Gov. Charlie Crist to appoint a replacement in advance of a wide-open Senate race in '10.