Former Sen. Scott Brown, now the Republican nominee for Senate in New Hampshire, has taken pains to get as cozy with New Hampshire Republicans as possible. But one thing he’s not doing is signing on to the New Hampshire Republican Party’s strict platform on abortion.
On Saturday the New Hampshire GOP adopted a socially conservative platform that stated support for “the pre-born child’s fundamental right to life and personhood under the Fourteenth Amendment” and the “Life at Conception Act.” Those stances do not align with Brown’s.
A Brown aide told Politico that the former senator did not agree with the New Hampshire GOP’s set “Personhood” language on abortion.
“Scott Brown is pro-choice and will protect a woman’s right to choose,” Brown spokeswoman Elizabeth Guyton told Politico.
Nevertheless Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who Brown is trying to replace, attacked Brown for the New Hampshire Republican Party’s support for Personhood restrictions.
“They are dangerously wrong, and by signing on with tea party extremists, they’re showing just how irresponsibly out of touch they are with the needs and rights of women,” Shaheen said.
A number of Republicans have disavowed the Personhood stances on abortion, in same cases completely flipping from their previous support for the strict anti-abortion measures, and embraced making over-the-counter contraception available without a prescription. Two of the most high-profile Republicans to do this were Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO), running against Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) and North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis (R-NC), running against Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC).
The TPM Polltracker average finds Shaheen leading Brown by 3.1 percentage points.
That is, until he sees a drop in the polls and quickly changes his stance.
I don’t believe one word of this. Until Brown himself states this new position in front of a camera for a major news organization, it never happened and isn’t Brown’s position. At best one might say Brown is feeling out an etch-a-sketch on the Pro Life/Pro Choice advocates. If Brown himself isn’t in front of a camera stating his policies, don’t believe a single word about this shift.
That’s the Scott Brown I remember from his days as Senator of my state. Constantly tweaking his positions to sync with the polling data. He is an empty suit fronting for an RNC managed political machine.
That’s so cute. He still thinks he’s got a future in presidential politics.
Of course he’s splitting with the GOP on a couple of “women’s issues.” He’s running for office. He’s only lockstep with the Tea Party when he’s actually in the Senate.