text:
Scott Brown
|Scott Brown
|United States Senator
from Massachusetts
|In office
February 4, 2010 – January 3, 2013
|Preceded by
|Paul Kirk
|Succeeded by
|Elizabeth Warren
|Member of the Massachusetts Senate
from the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex district
|In office
March 25, 2004 – February 4, 2010
|Preceded by
|Cheryl Jacques
|Succeeded by
|Richard Ross
|Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the 9th Norfolk district
|In office
|Preceded by
|Jo Ann Sprague
|Succeeded by
|Richard Ross
|Personal details
|Scott Philip Brown
September 12, 1959
Kittery, Maine, U.S.
|Political party
|Gail Huff
|Ayla Brown
Arianna Brown
|Rye, New Hampshire
|Alma mater
|Tufts University
Boston College
|Reformed Evangelicalism
| Army Commendation Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
|Military service
|United States
|United States Army
|Years of service
|Judge Advocate General's Corps
Army National Guard
Scott Philip Brown (born September 12, 1959) is an American attorney and politician. He was a United States Senator from Massachusetts, 2010 to 2013. Prior to his term in the Senate, Brown served as a member of the Massachusetts General Court, first in the State House of Representatives (1998–2004) and then in the State Senate (2004–2010). Brown served 35 years in the Army National Guard, retiring in 2014 with the rank of colonel. Brown is currently working as a political contributor for Fox News Channel and as an on call host for select Fox News Channel shows including Fox & Friends.
Brown is a member of the Republican Party, and faced the Democratic candidate, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, in the 2010 special election to succeed U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy for the remainder of the term ending January 3, 2013. While initially trailing Coakley in polling by a large margin, Brown saw a sudden late surge in the polls and posted a surprise win to become the first Republican elected to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts since Edward Brooke in 1972. Brown ran for a full Senate term in 2012, but lost to Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren. He subsequently joined the board of directors of Kadant paper company, joined Fox News as a commentator, and joined Nixon Peabody where he provided legal services.[1][2][3]
Prior to entering the state legislature, he had experience as a town selectman and assessor. He is a practicing attorney, with expertise in real estate law, and served as defense counsel in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Brown is a graduate of Wakefield High School (1977), Tufts University (1981), and Boston College Law School (1985).
Brown later reestablished residence in New Hampshire, and beginning in April 2014 campaigned for the United States Senate in the 2014 election. Brown won the Republican nomination by a significant margin, but was defeated in a difficult race by incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen in the general election.[4]
- 1 Early life and education
- 2 Early career
- 3 State political career
- 4 U.S. Senate
- 5 Political positions
- 6 Organizational associations and honors
- 7 Post-Senate career
- 8 Personal life
- 9 References
- 10 External links
Early life and education
Brown is of English ancestry, from a family that has been in New Hampshire since the colonial era. His earliest American ancestor was 17th century immigrant Francis Matthews, who sailed from Devonshire, England.[5] Brown is part of a 9th generation New Hampshire family[5] and was born on September 12, 1959[6] at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard located on Seavey's Island in Kittery, Maine[7] but after his parents divorced, when he was a young child, his mother moved him from Portsmouth, NH to Wakefield, Massachusetts.[8] He often spent his summers in Newburyport, Massachusetts, where his father served as a city councilor for 18 years. He also spent summers in Portsmouth, NH during his youth. Brown's father, Claude Bruce Brown, and mother, Judith Ann "Judi" (née Rugg),[9][10] divorced when he was about a year old. His father and his grandfather were Republicans. His father has said that young Scott became interested in running for political office in the mid-1960s while accompanying him on a campaign for state office.[11] Brown recalls holding campaign signs for his father.[12]
Brown had a difficult childhood; after her divorce, his working mother received welfare benefits.[13] Brown experienced sexual abuse from a camp counselor who threatened to kill the 10-year-old boy if he told anyone – which he did not disclose, even to his family, until his autobiography Against All Odds (2011)[14] – and physical abuse from his stepfathers.[15] During various periods of his childhood, Brown lived with his grandparents and his aunt. He shoplifted many times,[15] and was arrested for stealing record albums and brought before Judge Samuel Zoll in Salem, Massachusetts at the age of 12.[16] Zoll asked Brown if his siblings would like seeing him play basketball in jail and required Brown to write a 1,500-word essay on that question as his punishment. Brown later said, "that was the last time I ever stole."[8]
He graduated from Wakefield High School in 1977.[17] He received a Bachelor of Arts in History,[18] cum laude from Tufts University in 1981 and a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School in 1985. During his undergraduate career at Tufts, Brown was a member of the Kappa Chapter of Zeta Psi International Fraternity.[7][19]
Early career
Army National Guard service
Brown has said the rescue efforts of Army National Guard during the Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978 impressed him. He joined the Massachusetts Army National Guard when he was 19, receiving his basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey,[8] and attending Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) classes at the campus of Northeastern University.[20] He was trained in infantry, quartermaster, and airborne duties, and in 1994 he joined the Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG).[20] He was active in the Guard for 35 years rising to the rank of colonel. As the Army National Guard's head defense attorney in New England, Brown defended Guard members who had disciplinary difficulties such as positive drug tests,[12] and provided estate planning and real estate advice to those who are about to deploy to war zones.[20] He spent ten days to two weeks with the Guard in Kazakhstan and a week in Paraguay.[12]
He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service in homeland security shortly after the September 11 attacks.[17] He credits his military experience with causing him to focus on veteran's issues as well as issues of war and peace.[12] He has served on the Veterans and Federal Affairs Committee, the Hidden Wounds of War Commission, and the Governor's Task Force on Returning Veterans during his career as a legislator.[12]
On May 2, 2011, Brown announced that he would soon go to Afghanistan for training as part of his Army National Guard service.[21] When deployed in August 2011 for a week of training, he spent most of his time in Kabul.[22]
On August 1, 2012, Brown was promoted to Colonel in a private ceremony presided over by fellow senator John McCain.[23] He officially retired from the Army on May 13, 2014 after 35 years of service, and was awarded the Legion of Merit.[24]
In June 1982, Brown, then a 22-year-old law student at Boston College, won Cosmopolitan magazine's "America's Sexiest Man" contest. After two weeks on a crash diet of "three cans of tuna a day" and intensive workouts[15] he was featured in the magazine's centerfold, posing nude but strategically positioned so that according to Brown, "You don't see anything". In the accompanying interview, he referred to himself as "a bit of a patriot" and stated that he had political ambitions. The Cosmopolitan appearance and its $1,000 fee[12][25][26] helped pay for law school, and began for Brown a "long, lucrative" part-time catalog and print modeling career in New York and Boston during the 1980s.[27][28] Brown took a leave of absence from Boston College[29] and further pursued his modeling career in New York where he was represented by Wilhelmina Models while taking classes at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.[30] He returned to Boston, after nearly two years, to continue his studies at Boston College and continued to work as a model represented by Boston agent, Maggie Trichon of Maggie Inc.[31]
State political career
Brown "caught the political bug" in 1992 when he was elected property assessor of Wrentham, Massachusetts.[12] In 1995, he was elected to the Wrentham Board of Selectmen.[32]
He successfully ran for the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1998, representing the 9th Norfolk District for three terms. Brown again moved up the ladder of state politics to the state Senate in March 2004 when he won a special election to replace Democrat Cheryl Jacques.[33] Brown was re-elected for a full term in November 2004, and again in November 2006, running without opposition the second time. He won re-election in November 2008, defeating Democratic candidate Sara Orozco by a 59–41 percent margin. Following his re-election, Brown was one of five Republicans in the 40-seat Massachusetts Senate. In the Massachusetts Senate, Brown served on committees dealing with consumer protection, professional licensing, education, election laws, public safety, and veterans' affairs.[19]
In February 2007, a controversy arose after Brown's appearance at King Philip Regional High School in Wrentham, Massachusetts as part of a debate on gay marriage. The high school students had launched a Facebook group attack on Brown and had made a derogatory remark about his daughter, Ayla. During his presentation, Brown defended himself and his daughter by directly quoting several vulgar statements they had made and announcing the names of the students who had written the statements. Critics questioned whether Brown should have quoted the profane comments in front of a high school audience.[34]
In January 2010, The Boston Globe reported that during six terms in the Legislature, three each in the House and Senate, Brown had a modest record of legislative initiatives, but he had carved out a niche as a leading advocate for veterans. Richard R. Tisei of Wakefield, Massachusetts, the leader of the Republican minority in the state Senate, called Brown "the acknowledged expert on veterans' issues."[35] State Senator Jack Hart, a Democrat of South Boston, said: "He does his homework, he's comprehensive in his approach, and on veterans' issues, he's one of them and has done a very good job on their behalf."[35]
Brown lists among his achievements as a legislator his authorship of a 2007 law that created a check-off box on state income tax forms for veterans to indicate whether they served in Iraq or Afghanistan. The state uses the information to notify veterans of available services and benefits, including the Welcome Home Bonus[36] that provides $1,000 for those returning from active duty in Afghanistan or Iraq.[35]
U.S. Senate
2010 election
On September 12, 2009 (his 50th birthday), Brown announced his run for the U.S. Senate seat that became vacant with the death of Ted Kennedy, saying the state "needs an independent thinker."[37][38] Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker[39] said that Brown's political positions did not fall neatly into party lines, and called Brown "mainstream in a nation that defines itself as mostly conservative."[40] Boris Shor, political scientist at the Harris School of Public Policy, described Brown as a liberal Republican by national standards, but well-suited for his Massachusetts constituency. Shor explained the support Brown was receiving from the conservative national GOP as due to their "decentralized decision" to support the candidate most likely to win.[41][42]
Brown won a landslide victory in the Republican primary on December 8, 2009, defeating late entrant and perennial candidate Jack E. Robinson by a margin of 89 percent to 11 percent.[43]
Brown's opponents in the general election were Democratic nominee, Attorney General Martha Coakley, and independent Joseph L. Kennedy (no relation to the Kennedy family). At the outset, he faced overwhelming odds because he was relatively unknown compared to Coakley, he was running as a Republican in a very Democratic state, and much of his campaigning had to be done during the Christmas and New Year's season when citizens do not generally pay much attention to politics.[44] No Republican had been elected to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts since Edward Brooke in 1972.[45] He polled far behind Coakley for several months, but closed the gap in the early weeks of January.[46][47][48][49]
One week before the January special election, a controversy arose over a Coakley approved television ad. The ad referenced the conscientious objector amendment Brown had sponsored for inclusion in a 2005 proposed state measure on patients' rights.[50] This amendment would have allowed individual healthcare workers and hospitals to refuse to provide emergency contraceptive care (the morning-after pill[51]) to rape victims if they objected due to a religious belief. After the amendment failed, Brown did vote for the main bill which, along with other patient rights, requires healthcare workers and hospitals to provide such care.[52] Coakley's ad featured a male voice that said, "Brown even favors letting hospitals deny emergency contraception to rape victims," over the ad's graphic which had the words, "Deny care to rape victims."[52] Brown's daughter Ayla called the Coakley ad "completely inaccurate and misleading", and stated that her father would never deny care to a rape victim. Brown criticized Coakley for running what he described as attack ads.[52]
In the 2010 Senate race, although Brown was not endorsed by the Greater Boston Tea Party group,[53] the group organized a fund-raising breakfast for him in Boston.[54] The Tea Party Express also endorsed Brown[55] and bought ads on the national cable networks supporting Brown.[56]
When told that at various times he has been labeled a conservative, moderate and a liberal Republican, he responded "I'm a Scott Brown Republican."[57] According to Politifact, while Brown was a Massachusetts legislator, he voted about 90 percent with the state Republican leadership;[58] however, Republican Leadership in the Massachusetts legislature is generally considered far more moderate than the national Republican Party.[59]
A week before the general election, Brown raised $1.3 million from over 16,000 donors in a 24-hour money bomb. His campaign office stated it raised $5 million over the period from January 11–15.[60][61] Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report stated on January 17 that he would put his "finger on the scale" for Brown as the favorite. The Rothenberg Political Report released a statement that "the combination of public and private survey research and anecdotal information now strongly suggests that Republican Scott Brown will defeat Democrat Martha Coakley in tomorrow's race".[62] Suffolk University's polling of three bellwether counties on January 18 had Brown leading Coakley by double-digit margins.[63] Brown won the January 19 election, performing well in traditional Republican strongholds and holding rival Coakley's margins down in many Democratic precincts.[64][65][66]
On election night, after Coakley conceded, Brown gave a victory speech that stated, "It all started with me, my truck, and a few dedicated volunteers. It ended with Air Force One making an emergency run to Logan. I didn't mind when President Obama came here and criticized me – that happens in campaigns. But when he criticized my truck, that's where I draw the line."[67]
2012 election
October 2011 polling showed Brown's approvals had fallen and he faced a competitive re-election if matched against Democrat Elizabeth Warren.[68] However, his numbers in early March 2012 showed he led Warren by 8 points in the polls.[69] In March 2012, Brown's lead had narrowed to 2.3%, within the margin of error.[70] As of September 2012, several polls showed Warren with a lead over Brown (with one still giving Brown an edge).[70]
On November 6, 2012, Brown was defeated by Warren in the general election. Warren was able to garner 54% of the vote, while Brown won 46%.[71]
2014 election
After much anticipation by the media, Brown announced that he would run for U.S. Senate from the state of New Hampshire. Born at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, to parents who lived near downtown Portsmouth,[5] Brown then spent his early childhood in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and later in Wakefield, Massachusetts[72] following his parents' divorce.[72][73] He has also been a taxpayer and owned a home in Rye, New Hampshire for more than two decades.[74] In December 2013, he sold his primary home in Massachusetts and expressed to the Rye town clerk "his intention to establish residency and register to vote".[75]
Polling done by various agencies in April and May 2014 showed incumbent Senator Jeanne Shaheen leading Brown by 3 to 5 points. A poll conducted in May by the Republican Governors Association showed Brown leading Jeanne Shaheen by 5 points.[76][77] In late August, a WMUR/UNH poll showed Shaheen leading Brown by two points, 46 to 44. Polling in the final few weeks of the election suggested Brown had pulled ahead of Shaheen, with weekly polls by NH1 News, New England College, and Vox Populi showing Brown leading by a margin of 1–4 percentage points for the three consecutive weeks leading up to the election.[78][not in citation given]
There were five total debates during the election, three of which were televised. The televised U.S. Senate Debates, were hosted by WMUR-TV, NECN, and NH1 News. The WMUR Debate was moderated by George Stephanopoulos of ABC and Josh McElveen of WMUR-TV and was held at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown. The NH1 News Debate was moderated by Wolf Blitzer of CNN and Paul Steinhauser of NH1 and was held at the NH1 Media Center in Concord. The NECN Debate was moderated by Chuck Todd of NBC and was held at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord.
Brown was defeated by Shaheen by a margin of 51.5% to 48.5%.[79]
Brown was sworn in to office on February 4, 2010, by Vice President Joe Biden, in his capacity as President of the Senate, on the floor of the Senate.[80] As a Class I Senator, his term lasted until January 3, 2013.
Brown was among the speakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., introducing former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.[81] Despite his appearance at CPAC, where he alluded to his election as making "big government spenders...[not] feel good at all", Brown refused to rule out a vote for a Democratic "jobs bill" proposal, and has praised both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and former senior Senator and current Secretary of State John Kerry of Massachusetts for indicating their willingness to work with him across party lines.[82] Brown was one of five Republican senators to vote for cloture on the jobs bill. The motion passed in the Senate 62–30 on February 22, 2010.[83] In an up or down vote on the bill itself on February 24, 2010, Brown voted for final passage, helping to pass the bill 70–28.[84]
According to the Washington Post, Brown voted with the majority of Republicans 80% of the time.[85] In the same poll, "56% of Massachusetts voters believed he has kept his promise to be an independent voice in the U.S. Senate."[86]
Brown's views on the 2011 budget cuts and his departures from GOP consensus placed him at odds with some of his fellow Republicans and prominent Tea Party conservatives, including Glenn Beck.[87] He said he opposed these measures because he believed that they would have a negative impact on low income families and children.[88]
In late June 2010, Brown was ranked as "the most popular officeholder in Massachusetts" according to a poll conducted by the Boston Globe. 55% of those polled had favorable opinions of Brown nearly five months after his January 19, 2010, special election victory to finish the term of the late Senator Edward Kennedy. 50% of respondents generally approved of how Brown had handled his new position.[89]
On March 30, 2011, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee released a poll showing that Brown remained the "most popular politician in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with an approval rating of 73 percent." Brown's "'re-elect' score was comfortably above 50 percent, which is unusual for a Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic state."[90]
Committee assignments
Brown's committee assignments were as follows.[91]
- Committee on Armed Services
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- Caucus memberships
Political positions
Brown describes himself as socially moderate and fiscally conservative. He identifies himself as a "Reagan Republican". He has said, "I'm going to be the only person down there who is going to be the independent voter and thinker... I've always been the underdog in one shape or form."[8]
Fiscal policy
Brown is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge.[92] In a letter to the editor of the Boston Globe written on January 8, 2012, Brown wrote, "With out-of-control government spending and rising debt and deficits, politicians in Washington have proven time and time again that they cannot manage hard-earned taxpayer money responsibly. So why should we give them even more?"[93]
Brown opposes a proposed multi-billion dollar tax on banks to recoup bailout money and prescribing of bank executive compensation. Brown, discussing the proposal through a spokesperson, said that he is "opposed to higher taxes, especially in the midst of a severe recession". He also opposes it on the grounds that the tax would likely be passed onto consumers in the form of higher service and ATM fees.[94][95] In September 2010, Brown opposed a Senate bill creating a $30 billion government fund aimed at encouraging lending to small businesses. The bill combines the fund with $12 billion in new tax breaks. Brown criticized the bill for including a provision much like the Troubled Asset Relief Program, stating: "Banks making lending decisions with government funds is not the way to get our economy moving again."[96]
On December 12, 2010, the Boston Globe reported that "[c]ampaign contributions to [Brown] from the financial industry spiked sharply during a critical three-week period last summer as the fate of the Wall Street regulatory overhaul hung in the balance and Brown used the leverage of his swing vote to win key concessions sought by firms."[97] Brown received more than ten times the amount of contributions from the financial services industry as House Financial Services Committee chairman (and author of the legislation) Barney Frank during the same period.[97] According to the Globe:
Brown's efforts benefited large Massachusetts companies such as MassMutual Financial Group, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Fidelity Investments, and State Street Corp., whose executives and political action committees contributed $29,000 to Brown during the three-week period he was extracting the concessions from Democrats.
They also benefited major out-of-state institutions such as Goldman Sachs, UBS, and JPMorgan Chase. Those and other out-of-state financial interests gave Brown a total of $50,000 during the period.[97]
In December 2011, with a temporary payroll tax cut set to expire at the end of the month, the Senate considered the Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2011, which would extend the tax cut for 113 million workers or families and fund the plan by a 3.25 percent surtax on incomes over $1 million. Brown voted against proceeding to take up the bill (i.e., voted against cloture that would end the filibuster). He announced that his opposition was to the surtax on high incomes.[98][99][100]
Foreign policy
Brown supported President Barack Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops to fight in Afghanistan. He cited Stanley McChrystal's recommendations as a reason for his support.[12] He also advocates that suspected terrorists be tried in military tribunals and not civilian courts.[20] He also supported the limited use of "enhanced interrogation techniques", including waterboarding against non-citizen terrorist suspects.[101] He supports a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestinian conflict in which Israel and a new, independent Palestinian state would co-exist side by side.[102]
Veterans services
In 2007, Brown wrote a law establishing a check off box on State income tax forms to allow a filer to indicate if he or she is a veteran of the Iraq or Afghanistan wars. The measure's purpose is to locate and inform returning veterans of benefits they qualify for. Known as the "Welcome Home" bonus, it was passed with bipartisan support.[17] Brown also amended the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, with Senator Jack Reed (RI), to create a dedicated military liaison office within the newly formed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which aside from defending against unscrupulous lenders, also ensures protection of military families against fraudulent life insurance policies. The measure passed the U.S. Senate 99 to 1.[103]
Health care
Brown supported the 2006 Massachusetts health care reform, which requires all residents to have health insurance, with a state-subsidized plan created for those who cannot afford to insure themselves. Brown does not support President Obama's health care reform plan in its current form as approved by the Democratic-led House and Senate. He has stated this plan is fiscally unsound, and during his campaign notably pledged to be the 41st vote to filibuster the bill in the Senate.[104]
Brown voted for a state measure on patients' rights that, among other provisions, requires emergency rooms to provide what is known as the morning-after pill[51] to rape victims to prevent an unwanted pregnancy from developing. In consideration of health care workers who might have a religious objection to administering this medication, Brown attached what became known as the Conscientious Objector amendment which would have exempted these workers, as well as religious hospitals, from being required to provide this medication. However, Brown's amendment also required that all hospitals still had to provide a means for the patient to receive the medication, either by providing another healthcare worker willing to administer the medication, or, in the case of religious hospitals, to provide transportation to another facility, and in a timely manner.[105] The amendment did not pass.[106] Brown remains in favor of allowing religious hospitals to refuse to provide emergency contraception on moral or religious grounds, as he stated in the January 5, 2010 candidate debate.[106][107]
Energy policy
Brown supports expanding solar, wind, and nuclear power, and offshore drilling exploration as a means to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil.[8] But, when faced with the controversial issue of whether an offshore wind farm should be allowed in the waters off the Cape Cod coast in Massachusetts, a major tourist destination and boating location, he expressed opposition, saying he believed it would hinder tourism and boating in the area.[108]
Congressional ethics
Brown is an avid supporter of bipartisan cooperation among members of Congress. He has said that his goal in Congress is "to work in a bipartisan and bicameral manner."[109] According to a Congressional Weekly study, in 2011 Brown was the second-most bipartisan U.S. Senator, voting with his own party only 54% of the time.[110] By comparison, his partner in the Massachusetts Senate delegation, Senator John Kerry, voted with his own party 96% of the time, and the entire Massachusetts delegation to the House of Representatives voted with their party over 90% of the time.[110]
During the second half of 2011, Brown wrote the 2011 version of the STOCK Act, a move to ban insider trading in Congress.[111] The act, which was co-written with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), would prohibit asset trading by members of Congress (and their staff) who have advance knowledge of their assets' behavior due to their involvement in Congress.[112] The bill was verbally supported by President Barack Obama during his third State of the Union Address, and passed a major procedural hurdle in the Senate by a vote of 93–2 on January 30, 2012.[113]
Social issues
Brown refers to the currently legalized same-sex marriage in New Hampshire as a settled issue, which he does not wish to change.[12] Brown has said he personally believes marriage is between a man and a woman, but would still oppose a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.[114] He is in favor of civil unions.[8] He opposes ending the Defense of Marriage Act, but otherwise favors leaving the issue to the states to decide.[49] After initially claiming neutrality on "don't ask, don't tell", the ban on openly gay military personnel,[115] he joined a handful of Republicans who broke with their party to repeal the ban in December 2010.[116][117]
Brown has supported a presumption of shared parenting after divorce and was a co-sponsor of Fathers and Families HB 1460.[118] He also voted for reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2012.[119]
Brown has stated that Roe v. Wade is settled law and is self-described as pro-choice. He is against intact dilation and evacuation abortions (known legally as "partial birth abortion") and has spoken in favor of parental consent[8] for minors who seek an abortion. He said he would not use abortion as a litmus test in Supreme Court confirmations.[8] He opposes federal funding for elective abortion in accordance with the Hyde Amendment.[49]
After the Massachusetts Sensible Marijuana Policy Initiative was passed in 2008 and subsequently implemented, he proposed in the State Senate to enact higher fines for "drugged driving".[120] In 2012, he opposed a state initiative to legalize the use of medicinal marijuana in Massachusetts.[121] He also said efforts should be made to end drug trade in Afghanistan.[122]
Crime and security
Brown supports strengthening New Hampshire sex offender penalties,[118] the death penalty,[102] the right to bear arms (with some restrictions such as licenses and background checks) and strengthening border enforcement and creating an employment verification system with penalties for companies that hire illegal immigrants.[118]
Brown voted against the DREAM ACT.[123]
Brown opposed the Protect IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act.[124]
Gun control
Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012, Brown became the first GOP Senator to support a federal ban on assault weapons.[125] During campaigning in September 2014, he said he would not propose new legislation if he returned to Congress and would listen to all viewpoints if others presented a bill.[126]
Organizational associations and honors
Brown was a 35-year member of the Army National Guard, retiring as a colonel in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. Brown was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service in organizing the National Guard to quickly support homeland security following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.[127][128] He has also completed Airborne School and been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.[17]
Brown has received the Public Servant of the Year Award from the United Chamber of Commerce for his leadership in reforming the state's sex offender laws and protecting victims' rights.[129] Brown's family has helped raise funds for such non-profit organizations as Horace Mann Educational Associates (HMEA, Inc.), Wrentham Developmental Center, Charles River Arc, and the Arc of Northern Bristol County, all for the care and support of those with developmental disabilities. He has also been recognized by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) for his work in creating an environment that encourages job growth and expansion in Massachusetts.[130] The Boston Globe selected Brown as the 2010 Bostonian of the Year, citing his "profound impact on national politics in the last year".[131]
Post-Senate career
On February 13, 2013, Fox News Channel hired Brown as an on-air contributor.[132] In February 2014, it was reported that Brown was no longer under contract with Fox News, however Brown's contract was renewed.[133][134]
Following Brown's defeat in the 2012 U.S Senate race there was wide speculation that he would run again in 2013 due to John Kerry resigning from the other Massachusetts Senate seat to become Secretary of State. However, on February 1, 2013, he ruled out undertaking a third U.S. Senate campaign in less than four years.[135] Because he owns a home in New Hampshire, Brown is eligible to challenge Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who is up for re-election in 2014. When asked if he would pursue this possibility, he stated, "I'm not going to rule anything out right now."[136]
In March 2013 Brown joined Nixon Peabody, a company which provides legal and lobbying services.[137] Nixon Peabody reported that Brown would be working with the financial services and commercial real estate industries.[138] In April 2014 Brown left the company.[139] This work later received media attention when Lawrence Lessig with the Mayday PAC called Brown a lobbyist during the 2014 Senate election campaign.[3] Brown's campaign denied the claim and said that Lessig had breached the honor code of Harvard University in making it.[140]
While visiting the Iowa State Fair in August 2013, Brown stated he was considering a 2016 presidential run.[141]
On August 21, 2013, Brown, during an interview on WBZ's NightSide With Dan Rea radio program, said he won't be a candidate for Massachusetts governor in 2014.[142]
In September 2013, Brown joined the advisory board of Global Digital Solutions, a wireless communications and small arms manufacturer and exporter.[143]
In early February 2014, Brown's email list was used to promote "a video from a doctor warning against flu vaccines, fluoridated water, and excessive exercising, among other questionable medical claims."[144] The email generated news coverage. Brown subsequently cut ties with the vendor that sent the email.
On March 13, 2014, Brown began seeking campaign staff while aggressively courting New Hampshire's political elite, marking what local Republicans consider serious steps toward launching a Senate campaign against Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen.[145]
On April 2, 2014, a local New Hampshire station reported that Brown "confirmed and announced on NH Today that he is running for the US Senate in NH" against Democratic Incumbent Jeanne Shaheen, and would announce the next week.[146]
Subsequent activity
Brown had stated that win or lose in his 2014 New Hampshire Senatorial bid, he planned to remain a New Hampshire resident for the rest of his life. In January 2015, it was revealed that shortly after losing to Shaheen, Brown, age 55, filed an application to the Massachusetts State Retirement Board to claim a state pension. Brown has not ruled out running for office again in the future.[147] Brown is also working as a contributor for Fox News Channel and as an on-call host for Fox & Friends. Brown served as a featured speaker at the 2015 Republican Leadership Summit in Nashua, New Hampshire.[148] Brown continues to play an active role in politics, campaigning and fundraising with senatorial and congressional candidates and meeting with Republican candidates for President in New Hampshire.[149]
In 2015, Brown used his Facebook page to promote AdvoCare, a company that uses multi-level marketing to sell nutrition, weight-loss, energy, and sports performance products.[150][151] He said that he had lost 30 pounds in 24 days on the regimen.[150][151] He later added that neither he nor his wife were "paid spokesrepresentatives for Advocare,"[150][152] although he was confirmed as being an independent representative of the company.[153] Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has requested a Federal Trade Commission investigation of Brown's non-disclosure of financial interest in AdvoCare.[154]
Personal life
Brown is married to NH1 News reporter Gail Huff, whom he met through modeling. They have two daughters, Ayla, an American Idol semi-finalist and 2010 graduate of Boston College, and Arianna, a competitive equestrian and pre-medical student at Syracuse University.[27] Besides their primary home in Rye, New Hampshire, the couple owns three rental condos in Boston, and a timeshare on the Caribbean island of Aruba.[8][155][156]
Brown and his family are members of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. They also have a relationship with a community of Cistercians, more commonly known as Trappistine,[157][158] Roman Catholic nuns at Mount St. Mary's Abbey in Wrentham, Massachusetts. The Brown family has "assisted efforts to raise $5.5 million" to replace the order's candy factory with a new greener facility with solar panels and a wind turbine.[8]
- ↑ Scott Brown joins Kadant paper company board of directors, MassLive, February 6, 2013
- ↑ "Scott Brown, former Massachusetts senator, joins Fox News". NY Daily News. 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2014-08-04.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers at line 47: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- ↑ Espo, David; Furlow, Robert (November 5, 2014). "Takeover: Republicans surge to control of Senate". USA Today. Associated Press.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Haddadin, Jim (December 20, 2013). "Scott Brown says his family roots go back nine generations in New Hampshire". Politifact. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
Scott Brown was a New Hampshire resident at birth.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Brown, Scott". Current Biography Yearbook 2010. Ipswich, MA: H.W. Wilson. 2010. pp. 77–80. ISBN 9780824211134.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Welch, William F.; James, Steven T. "2007–2008 Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts".<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 Mooney, Brian C. (November 20, 2009). "Being the underdog never deters a driven Brown". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 31, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Brown, Scott (2011). Against All Odds: My Life of Hardship, Fast Breaks, and Second Chances. HarperCollins. pp. 17–18. ISBN 978-0-06-201554-9.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Ancestry of Scott Brown. Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved on 2012-09-29.
- ↑ Katzman, Katie (January 15, 2010). "Brown's dad proud of son's political rise". Newbury Port News.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 Ring, Dan (November 30, 2009). "Republican Scott Brown, seeking to fill the seat held by Ted Kennedy, favors more troops in Afghanistan, opposes health insurance overhaul". MassLive.com. Retrieved January 13, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Brown, Scott (January 14, 2010). "A New Day Is Coming To Restore Faith And Balance". The Boston Globe.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Stahl, Leslie (February 20, 2011). "The resilient Senator Scott Brown". CBS News. Retrieved February 23, 2011.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Arsenault, Mark and Christopher Rowland (February 17, 2011). "Brown describes beatings, sexual abuse in childhood". The Boston Globe.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Slack, Donovan (February 23, 2011). "For Brown, second chance was a life-changing moment". The Boston Globe.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 "About State Senator Scott Brown". Scott Brown. Archived from the original on May 27, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Tufts Alum Wins U.S. Senate Bid". Tufts University. Retrieved March 1, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "US Senate candidate Scott Brown, at a glance". Seattle Times. Associated Press. January 16, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Mooney, Brian C. (January 7, 2010). "Guard service a key to candidate Brown". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 16, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Shear, Michael D. (May 2, 2011). "Scott Brown Headed to Afghanistan for National Guard Training". The New York Times.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Sherman, Natalie (September 2, 2011). "Sen. Scott Brown returns from Afghanistan". Boston Herald.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Scott Brown, promoted to colonel in National Guard, honored in ceremony with John McCain – Political Intelligence – A national political and campaign blog from The Boston Globe. Boston.com (2012-08-01). Retrieved on 2012-09-29.
- ↑ Hohmann, James (13 May 2014). "Scott Brown retires from Army National Guard reserves". Politico. Retrieved 13 May 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Meikle, James (January 20, 2010). "Scott Brown: From Cosmo centrefold to Massachusetts senator". The Guardian. London.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Ashley Womble (September 22, 2009). "Senator Is the Centerfold". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved January 13, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Frank Bruni (February 22, 2010). "Where Scott Brown Is Coming From". The New York Times.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Levenson, Michael (July 22, 2011). "Brown fashion catalogue offered for sale". The Boston Globe.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Jacobs, Sally (October 23, 2012). "Modeling years gave Brown an early boost". The Boston Globe.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Bruni, Frank (February 22, 2010). "Where Scott Brown Is Coming From". The New York Times.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Radsken, Jill (January 27, 2010). "Photogs recall Scott Brown's ease in front of camera". Boston Herald.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Phillips, Frank. "Brown had low-key style in state Legislature". Boston Globe. Retrieved 26 January 2015.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Weber, Gretchen; Franco Ordonez; Emma Stickgold; Lisa Kocian (March 24, 2004). "Preservation plan on tap". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 9, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Heather McCarron (February 10, 2007). "Brown on hot seat after quoting 'F' word at school appearance". The MetroWest Daily News.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 "Guard Service a Key to Candidate Brown" The Boston Globe January 7, 2010
- ↑ "Welcome Home Bonus". Mass.gov. September 11, 2001. Archived from the original on February 27, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Leblanc, Steve (January 21, 2010). "Scott Brown proudly proclaims he's 'a new breed of Republican'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Associated Press.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Burkeham, Oliver (January 21, 2010). "'I'm Scott Brown. I'm from Wrentham. I drive a truck'". The Guardian. London.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Mooney, Alexander (September 26, 2008). "Palin should step down, conservative commentator says". CNN. Retrieved January 26, 2009.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Parker, Kathleen (January 10, 2010), "A Republican Senate upset in Massachusetts?", The Washington Post, retrieved January 18, 2010<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Shor, Boris (January 15, 2010). "Scott Brown is a more liberal Republican than Dede Scozzafava". Retrieved January 16, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Gelman, Andrew (January 15, 2010). "Scott Brown is a Liberal Republican". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved January 16, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Johnson, Glenn (December 9, 2009). "Kennedy special election puts GOP in spotlight". The Guardian. London.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Levenson, Michael (December 8, 2009). "Scott Brown wins GOP primary, readies for race against Coakley". The Boston Globe.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Scott Brown wins Massachusetts Senate special election race". The Washington Post. January 19, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Poll: Scott Brown surges to double-digit lead over Martha Coakley". My Fox Boston. January 18, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
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- ↑ Mohl, Bruce (February 15, 2006). "State orders Wal-Mart to sell morning-after pill, Retailer says it will consider stocking drug at all US stores". The Boston Globe.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
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- ↑ The GBTP website states: "Please note that while a few Tea Party groups across the nation have endorsed either Brown or Kennedy, the Greater Boston Tea Party has not endorsed either. We are encouraging you to get informed, make your own decision and then get involved."C Varley (January 7, 2010). "Massachusetts Special Senate Election Update". What's Brewing. Greater Boston Tea Party.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Friends of the Tea Party Scott Brown Reception". Scott Brown for United States Senate. January 2, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Tea Party Express Endorses Scott Brown for US Senate Massachusetts" (Press release). American Conservative Daily. January 9, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Scott Brown Campaign: Shhh!!! A secret we can now share with you all!". Tea Party Express. January 18, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
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- ↑ "Obama says Brown's voting record is not that of an independent". Politifact. January 18, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Scott Brown is a more Liberal Republican than Dede Scozzafava". Boris Shor. January 15, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Candidates for Kennedy seat make final money pitch". Boston Herald. Associated Press. January 12, 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
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- ↑ Carnevale, Mary Lu (January 18, 2010). "Bay State Battle: New Indicators Show Brown Gaining Ground". The Wall Street Journal.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
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- ↑ One poll showed Warren at +2; another showed Brown at +3.
- ↑ MJ Lee (2012-05-03) Poll: Scott Brown leads Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts – MJ Lee. Politico.Com. Retrieved on 2012-09-29.
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- ↑ Election 2012 – Massachusetts Senate – Warren vs. Brown. RealClearPolitics (2012-11-10). Retrieved on 2012-12-30.
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- ↑ "H.R. 4173 (111th Congress)" (PDF). United States Government Printing Office.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
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- ↑ Breitbart News. Big Government (2011-11-15). Retrieved on 2012-09-29.
- ↑ Bill Summary & Status – 112th Congress (2011–2012) – S.1871 – THOMAS (Library of Congress). Thomas.loc.gov (2011-11-15). Retrieved on 2012-09-29.
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- ↑ "Scott Brown Says He Won't Run For Mass. Governor". Associated Press. Retrieved 22 August 2013.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Walker, Hunter (September 23, 2013). "Ex-Sen. Scott Brown Working With Gun Company Tied To Brutal Regime". Talking Points Memo. Retrieved October 3, 2013.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Bierman, Noah (February 5, 2014). "Scott Brown rents out e-mail list to spammer". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 6, 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Peoples, Scott (March 13, 2014). "Scott Brown Seeks Staff For N.H. Senate Run". WBUR-FM. Retrieved April 3, 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Lavender, Paige (April 3, 2014). "Scott Brown Running For Senate In New Hampshire". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 3, 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Jim O'Sullivan (January 30, 2015). "Scott Brown files for Mass. state pension". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 1, 2015.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "New Hampshire Republican Party Leadership Summit, Day 1". CSPAN. Retrieved 1 May 2015.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Marketti, Anna; Way, Robert (October 5, 2015). "Carly Fiorina attends Scott Brown house party in N.H." The Boston Globe.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 150.0 150.1 150.2 Nguyen, Tina (June 26, 2015). "Former Senator Scott Brown Now Hawking Diet Supplements". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2015-06-29.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 151.0 151.1 Brown, Scott (June 25, 2015). "June 25 at 12:22pm". Facebook. Retrieved 2015-06-29.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Brown, Scott (June 25, 2015). "June 25 at 2:41pm". Facebook. Retrieved 2015-06-29.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Ebbert, Stephanie (July 2, 2015). "Salesman Brown pursues a weight-loss constituency". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 6, 2015.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Barry, Conor (October 5, 2015). "Ethics group calls on federal agency to investigate Scott Brown for failing to disclose financial interest in diet product". MassLive.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Financial disclosure, April 2009" (PDF). Mass State Ethics commission.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Laura Crimaldi (January 22, 2010). "Compared to colleagues, Scott Brown lacks green". Boston Herald.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Welcome to Mount Saint Mary's Abbey". Mount Saint Mary's Abbey. February 24, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ "Monastic Life – Page 2". Mount Saint Mary's Abbey. February 24, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
External links
- Scott Brown at DMOZ
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Project Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Appearances on C-SPAN
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Royal Canin Mini Breed Shih Tszu 24 (Archived)
Date of last review
Sun November 20, 2005
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Chicken meal, rice, brown rice, chicken fat (naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract and citric acid), corn, chicken, wheat gluten, natural chicken flavor, beet pulp, cellulose, rice hulls, salmon oil, dried egg powder, potassium chloride, soya oil, DL-methionine, beet pulp, L-tyrosine, calcium carbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, choline chloride, salt, taurine*, borage oil, Vitamins [dl-alpha tocopherol (source of vitamin E), inositol, niacin, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C*), d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], Trace Minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], glucosamine hydrochloride, marigold extract, chondroitin sulfate, green tea extract.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein Minimum 24%
Crude Fat Minimum 20%
Moisture Maximum 11%
Crude Fiber Maximum 5.8%
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Registered: October 2005
Posts: 3953
Review Date:
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First ingredient is a named meat product.
Insufficient meat product in food. Extensive use of low quality grains and other controversial fillers.
The first ingredient in this food is a named meat product, but it is followed by two forms of rice. It is likely that when the two rice products are not split (see note about practice of splitting on main page) that in fact it is rice rather than chicken that is the primary ingredient in the food.
Chicken fat is the fourth (likely third) ingredient. While this food is not aimed at large breed dogs, we note that research at Purdue University has identified a fat in the top four ingredients of a dry dog food as a factor that increases the risk of bloat in large breed dogs. Smaller breeds are untested.
Corn is the next grain in the food and a problematic one for dogs being the cause of a great many allergy and yeast infection problems. Wheat is similarly problematic and is the number one cause of allergy problems in dog food. Wheat gluten is a by-product of wheat likely to be similar to corn gluten for which the AAFCO definition is the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm. In plain English, that which remains after all the nutritious bits have been removed.
Soy is a poor quality source of protein in dog food, and a common cause of allergy problems. Some believe that it is the number 1 cause of food allergies in dogs (outstripping even wheat).
Beet pulp is yet another controversial ingredient it is a by-product, being dried residue from sugar beets which has been cleaned and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar. It is a controversial ingredient in dog food, claimed by some manufacturers to be a good source of fibre, and derided by others as an ingredient added to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats and causing stress to kidney and liver in the process. We note that beet pulp is an ingredient that commonly causes problems for dogs, including allergies and ear infections, and prefer not to see it used in dog food especially so high on the ingredient list. There are less controversial products around if additional fibre is required.
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Student or Learner
Teacher, is this sentence OK?
I spent $100 buying office supplies and attached is the receipt. Please reimburse me for that amount.
Remember - if you don't use correct capitalisation, punctuation and spacing, anything you write will be incorrect.
Bill, I believe the note is to an employer, not the to the place where the items were purchased.
I find it helpful to have the amount in the cover letter. Photocopies of receipts can be blurry, but the cover letter text will be clear. And there will be copies when reimbursements are needed.
I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.
OK thanks. I misunderstood the context and in particular the term "reimbursement" vs. refund.


text:
Michael Shermer has once again responded to Ophelia Benson for having dared to criticize him for saying something dumb and sexist and he's going for the full persecution pose, complete with allusions to witch hunts, inquisitions, McCarthyism, purges and — yes — Nazis. You can read that response, which was published as a response to Ophelia's criticism of him in Free Inquiry, here.
Let me provide another example of moral progress that at first will seem counterintuitive. It involves a McCarthy-like witch hunt within secular communities to root out the last vestiges of sexism, racism, and bigotry of any kind, real or imagined. Although this unfortunate trend has produced a backlash against itself by purging from its ranks the likes of such prominent advocates as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, I contend that this is in fact a sign of moral progress.
Leaving aside the first and last clauses, which strike me as rather irrelevant, one has to ask: Dawkins and Harris have been purged? In what universe, exactly? I write often about the alternate reality on Planet Wingnuttia, but it appears that Shermer lives on one of the moons orbiting that planet if he thinks that Dawkins and Harris have somehow been "purged" from the atheist movement. They remain probably the two biggest names in the non-believing world, with legions of readers and listeners, millions of books sold and constant invitations to speak at the largest and most prestigious events. No one has purged them, nor could anyone do so even if they wished (and no one, as far as I know, has even suggested such a thing). But the bad analogies are just getting started:
To date, I have stayed out of this witch hunt against our most prominent leaders, thinking that "this too shall pass." Perhaps I should have said something earlier. As Martin Niemoller famously warned about the inactivity of German intellectuals during the rise of the Nazi party, "first they came for…" but "I didn't speak out because I wasn't a…"
Really? Seriously? Do I even have to explain how ridiculous this Nazi reference is? I certainly hope not.
When self-proclaimed secular feminists attacked Richard Dawkins for a seemingly innocent response to an equally innocent admonishment to guys by Rebecca Watson (the founder of Skepchicks) that it isn't cool to hit on women in elevators, this erupted into what came to be known as "Elevatorgate." I didn't speak out because I figured that an intellect as formidable as Richard Dawkins's did not need my comparatively modest brainpower in support.
No, Dawkins' "Dear Muslima" comment was not "seemingly innocent." It was condescending and dismissive and, yes I'll say it, irrational. That is not something we're used to from Dawkins, which is why people were shocked enough by it that most wondered if the comment really came from him or whether it was someone deliberately trying to make Dawkins look bad. But no, he did say it and yes, he did look bad. And deservedly so. One wonders how Shermer might have said if he'd chosen to speak out. Would he have pointed out that Rebecca's admittedly "innocent admonishment" was exactly that and that Dawkins' insulting response to it was pretty vile? One doubts it.
But perhaps I should have spoken out, because now the inquisition has been turned on me, by none other than one of the leading self-proclaimed secular feminists whose work has heretofore been important in the moral progress of our movement. I have already responded to this charge against me elsewhere,* so I will only briefly summarize it here. Instead of allowing my inquisitors to force me into the position of defending myself (I still believe in the judicial principle of innocence until proven guilty), I shall use this incident to make the case for moral progress.
What does innocence until proven guilty have to do with any of this? That is a legal concept and you are not on trial, no matter how much you imagine yourself to be. You said something dumb and sexist in a public forum and someone else pointed out that it was dumb and sexist in a public forum. And the truth is that you are defending yourself, primarily by going on the offensive and accusing your critics of trying to destroy you and others the same way the Catholic Church, the McCarthyites and the Nazis did to their opponents.
All of this is such an hysterical overreaction that it leaves my jaw agape. No one has been "purged" in any "inquisitions" or "witch hunts." What they have been is criticized for saying dumb things now and again. You'd think that Shermer, who has spent most of his adult life encouraging people to think critically would recognize criticism when he sees it, but he squeals like a stuck pig when the harsh glare of criticism is turned on him.
All of this leaves me with just one question: Is it really that difficult to just admit to having made a mistake? Is it really so hard to say, "Yeah, what I said was dumb. I should have thought it through more. I'm sorry"? I've had to do it many times. I bet most other people have too. Why is that so difficult? When Shermer said that the reason there are so few women speaking at atheist conferences is because being "intellectually active" was "more of a guy thing," that was a really dumb and sexist thing to say. Yes, it was an off the cuff remark in response to a question he may not have been prepared to answer, but why not just say that? Why not just say "I said something dumb without really thinking it through and it was wrong" and then replace it with a more thoughtful and reasonable explanation?
I like Michael Shermer. I've written for his magazine and had interesting conversations with him at a couple of events and I'm even sympathetic to his libertarian political views, unlike a lot of others in this community. But he is embarrassing himself here and the only reason I can think of to explain it is vanity. I wish he would stop. There's still a serious discussion to be had about diversity at atheist events but it cannot be had with someone who is making these ridiculous claims of witch hunts, inquisitions and Nazi purges.
And once again I am struck by how much this rhetoric mirrors that of people in stark opposition to the goals of atheists and skeptics. When Paula Kirby refers to Rebecca Watson and her defenders as "feminazis," she is using exactly the same language used by Rush Limbaugh (who invented that term, or at least made it famous). When Al Stefanelli claims that Watson and her defenders just "hate white men," he is using exactly the same argument used by right-wing Christians for decades. And when Shermer talks about witch hunts, inquisitions and purges, he is using precisely the same rhetoric that right-wing Christian anti-feminists have used, and continue to use, to describe not only feminists but the entire secular community as well. And he is acting just like those fundamentalist Christians who are practically addicted to false claims of persecution.
I am also struck by the fact that even in a community that is ostensibly dedicated to rational thinking, we have developed cults of personality that surround prominent members of the community with sycophants willing to defend them against any criticism, no matter how reasonable or justified that criticism may be (I've even seen it in some of my own readers when I've been criticized, even with the low level of "fame" that I have and it's creepy there too). That's not a surprise, of course; it's pretty much human nature. But shouldn't we strive to transcend such thinking? Shouldn't atheists and skeptics, of all people, put in the mental effort necessary to overcome those tendencies and evaluate each and every argument and claim using the same rational criteria? Shouldn't we, of all people, be willing to admit when we've said something dumb?
Look, I'm as guilty as Shermer of circling the wagons around myself from time to time, of getting defensive and remaining obstinate in the face of accurate and legitimate criticism. And anyone who says they haven't behaved this way at one time or another is lying to you and to themselves. So the answer to my question above? Is it really that hard to admit to saying something dumb? Yes, it is. But part of being a skeptic is recognizing that we all behave irrationally from time to time, we all use cognitive shortcuts and make bad arguments sometimes and we all allow our vanity or our emotions to override our use of reason. And it's always easier to spot it in others than it is in ourselves. I get it. I've been there and I've done it. But at some point you have to be intellectually honest enough to engage in genuine self-reflection, admit that you're doing it and make amends. I think Shermer still has the opportunity to do that, but he's got to stop making the hole he's in deeper.
Shermer, like Dawkins and Harris, has done a great deal to advance atheism and skepticism in the world. We owe them all a debt of gratitude for the lifetime of dedication to fostering a more rational world. But they aren't perfect and they aren't above criticism. Nor am I, or Ophelia, or Rebecca Watson, or PZ Myers, or anyone else. And when any of is criticized for legitimate reasons — and we all have been, at one point or another (and for me, at many times) — we must put our vanity and our ego aside and evaluate our own behavior as closely as we do those we oppose. It's not easy. It never is. But it's necessary if we are to deserve the title of skeptic.
Editor's Note: Kacy Ray, you are banned from the comments on this thread. The last thing we need is another 200 comments about how unfair it is that people won't meet you out back behind your Facebook page for the conversation you insist on having.


text:
Friday, June 28, 2013 - Wank Party 2013 #05, Part 1
We have a wonderful line-up for Wank Party 2013 #5, Borek Sokol, Jan Faust, Robert Drtina and Lukas Pribyl. In this first part we find all 4 guys in the fitness room. Borekis holding the punch bag for Robert as Jan and Lukas exercise. The Jan asks Lukas to help him with his pull ups. Lukas moves over and assists his friend. Then they swap places so that Lukas can do some pull ups too. Borek changes places with Robert as well, on the punch bag. As Robert encourages Borek the other two stop and watch. Robert calls across to them and they all start to chat, as Lukas takes a turn on the punch bag. As they chat about what else they might try Lukas suggests some "special" exercises. With that they begin to touch each other and start to kiss. Soon hands are in each other's shorts and then cocks are out and being wanked. Jan gets hard very quickly and Borek drops to his knees and sucks on that dick. Lukas does the same for Robert, his mouth eagerly gorging on a rock hard cock. Borek sucks on Jan's dick and his own cock gets very hard. He stands and moves, with Jan, over to the others. Lukas, spies them and turns to suck on Borek's cock as Jan wanks Robert. Lukas is eager for more and turns to suck Jan's cock too. In fact he quickly takes turns on all three throbbing cocks. He really works hard, keeping all those cocks nice and hard, as he takes turns. Then the guys pair up with Jan on his knees sucking Robert's big cock, and Borek servicing Lukas. Robert is keen to suck too and he drops to his knees, as Jan stands, and takes sucks his new friend. Lukas takes hold of Borek's head, pushing it further down his cock shaft. The guys then all stand close together wanking each other as Lukas and Robert kiss. Then Robert turns and kisses Jan as well as he wanks both guys. They all move again, with Lukas bent over, presenting his ass so that Jan can rim his tight hole. Robert lays on his back, with his legs in the air for Borek to tongue his hole too. Robert loves the feel of that hot tongue on his hole and wanks himself as he feels it. This first part has been a wonderful beginning to the wank party, with four very good looking guys. Part 2 cannot come soon enough for me.
... more about Wank Party 2013 #05, Part 1 further in this newsletter
Our Coming Soon Set Preview
We invited the very good looking Filip Klatic in for a duo with the lovely Adam Rupert. We find them in only their underwear, kneeling on the bed and kissing as they grope each other. Filip's cock is rock hard and, very quickly, his underwear is off. Adam's comes off too and his big, hard cock flops into view. Adam kisses his way down Filip's chest and has a quick suck on that hard cock before returning to the kissing. Filip is wanking on Adam's cock and he goes down and begins to suck on it. Laying on the bed Filip works his mouth all over that cock, taking it nice and deep, as he wanks himself. Adam runs a hand over Filips body as he feels that mouth on his cock. Fililp comes off that big cock and stands, which allows Adam to return the favour, by sucking his cock. His tongue licks over the cock and he sucks it into his mouth, intermittently sharing kisses too. Filip lays on the bed, with Adam next to him sucking him some more. Then Filip moves onto his knees, presenting his ass to Adam. Adam hands spread those sexy ass cheeks and examine that tight hole. He spits on the hole, and then starts to tongue it before slipping a finger inside. That finger works Filips hole, opening it nicely, then he climbs up and slides his big cock deep inside. Adam really works that ass hard, his cock fucking nice and deep, speeding up as he fucks. Filip's cock is rock hard and pushed between his legs as he takes Adam's. Then they move, with Adam sitting on the bed, and Filip sits his hot ass right down on that throbbing dick. He wanks his own cock as Adam fucks him hard and fast. He really works that ass, then Filip takes over and begins to ride the cock, as he wanks himself. Moving into missionary position Adam continues to pound that hole nice and fast as Filip's wanking speeds up. He really wanks that dick and soon shoots his load all over his belly. Adam is ready too and pulls out, moving up to Filip's face and shoots a huge load all over him. Filip's tongue reaches out to lick the head of that cock as it shoots and then he takes the cock in his mouth to suck it dry.
You can watch my Vlog for this Newsletter by clicking above or by going over to the Blog : http://www.wheuro.com/?p=11309
Finally some wonderful Spring Like weather in Prague with no rain forecast for the weekend. Right now I seem to have some little bug from something I ate. Hope it goes away before tomorrow.
Two to SCOTUS decisions regarding DOMA and Prop 8 were great news for our side. It seems like the tide has quickly and decisively turned in our favor. Hopefully, the Czech Republic will move from domestic partnerships to full marriage. We'll have to wait and see on that one.
With all the big news stories, a friend wrote, the Czech Republic has been knocked out of the press in the States. Here's what's happening, the new Mr. President has decided to appoint a government of 'experts.' His designate for PM was a close associate. He did not accept the recommendation of the ruling coalition. Next the government, appointed by the President against the wishes of the majority coalition, will come up for a vote of confidence in parliament. All predictions indicate it will not receive a majority confidence vote. If so, then Mr. President can appoint another government. If it fails to receive a vote of confidence, then the Speaker of the House, who was the majority coalition's pick for PM, will pick the next government. If her pick fails to win a vote of confidence, then, I believe, snap elections will be called. Let's just say, we're in for a period of confusion.
Meanwhile, yesterday, we shot an absolutely fab threesome which I think you'll love. Hopefully, it will be published soon.
The first part of Wank Party 2013 #5 leads things off today and what a stellar cast we have for that, Robert Drtina, Jan Faust, Lukas Pribyl and Borek Sokol. We then have Zdeno Jaro with a helping hand, Daniel Just in his session stills and a lovely backstage video of Wank Party 2013 #1.
Our castees today look very good too. They are Walda Kozr, Tomas Veverak and Zdenek Hrozny. That is three good looking guys. My pick for today will go to Walda Kozr and his very stiff dick.
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Today's Weather in Prague
We have launched our all new Kink only site with no solos. It's not for the feint hearted. Do take a look (if you dare):
At present, Members of CzechGuysNextDoor will be able to access the new site with their user information. If you have problems, write email@example.com
Latest Sets At Our NEW STR8HELL.com Website
Open Set "Ivan and Petr - CFNM"
Open Set "Tomas Berger - SPANKING"
Members of CzechGuysnextDoor.com - to log in the member's section of the new STR8HELL website use your present username and password, if you forgot your password or encounter a log in problem please feel free to contact us at: email@example.com
Non-members - you are welcome to browse our complete content - each regular set contains free video preview and free photos, if you decide not to become a member of our website you can also buy sets separately (we huge, well organized and easy to search library of models - there is always few models you may like) you can pay only for what you really want see ;-). You are always welcome to come back.
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BurnDVD.tv Website Latest Updates
Starting today you can download our videos in Full HD quality 1920x1080px!
Please remember that most of the videos available on BurnDVD are easily able to be downloaded with a single link, but some of the very large files, such as the newsletter DVDs have to be split into three separate links, as detailed below.
The videos with very large file sizes are now split into more than one part, using a program called HJSplit. If you wish to buy one of these larger videos to Burn to DVD, you will receive a link for file and then it is a simple process to join the downloaded files together to make the .iso file for Burning to DVD.
You can see all the available videos at www.burndvd.tv
Before downloading any videos to burn to DVD I advise you to read the BURNDVD Manual, which explains how you can burn the file to DVD. The file is an ISO file which contains all the required DVD files. The process for burning to DVD is fully explained.
The BurnDVD manual is easy to follow, with a step by step guide. Burning a DVD is easy to do, though it is helpful if you have previously burned DVDs or CDs.
The manual can be viewed here: BURNDVD Manual
Anyone who has any problems understanding the manual, or burning their download to DVD, or indeed any questions about this service please email email@example.com . Geoff will be happy to assist you.
You can view all the available downloads at www.burndvd.tv, by clicking the on the categories. A direct link to the latest files available will be published in each newsletter.
Our Latest Sets at www.BurnDVD.tv
Today we have Wank Party 2013 #5 Part one and Zdeno Jaro, Backstage Video – WP 2013 #1 and CFNM – Ivan Vladik and Petr Damcek.
The direct link to "Wank Party 2013 #5 - Part 1"
The direct link to "Zdeno Jaro"
The direct link to "Wank Party 2013 #01 - BACKSTAGE"
The direct link to "CFNM - Ivan Vladik and Petr Damcek"
Special Offer for William Higgins Newsletter Readers
William Higgins Newsletter readers are able to obtain a discount on the price of BURNDVD downloads by using the coupons that we will be publishing in each Members Newsletter. The coupon published in each newsletter will be valid for a period of 7 days.
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