YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, SCOTT BROWN!

"Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." (Romans 13:7)

This morning, Ron, a very good friend of mine from Ashland, MA, called me on my cell phone as I drove from Canton to Framingham, MA. We had not had a chance to chat for awhile and so Ron updated me on a number of things. One story of Ron's this morning speaks volumes. Like me, Ron is a huge admirer of Scott Brown. At his home he had a Scott Brown yard sign on display. Last Saturday as he was outside doing yard work, Ron noticed a woman canvassing his neighborhood. She wore an Elizabeth Warren sweatshirt and carried a clipboard.

"She's going door to door for Elizabeth Warren," Ron quickly thought.

As the female Elizabeth Warren supporter passed by Ron's property, she pointed to the Scott Brown Sign and said, "Well, I guess we have nothing to talk about!"

"Actually," Ron replied, "I think we DO have some things to talk about."

The woman stopped and they had a friendly and lengthy conversation. Ron said he commended the woman for getting involved in the political process. He listened to her spiel about Elizabeth Warren. Then he asked her some tough questions.

"Scott Brown is the kind of Republican that Democrat activists say they want," said Ron, "he frequently crosses the aisle to work with Democrats. He's got a strong bipartisan record. He's moderate on the issues and a very fair and nice man. He's not an ideologue or a party hack. Conversely, Elizabeth Warren is an elitist who has been hand picked by the corrupt Democratic party establishment. How can you be working against Scott Brown?!"

Ron, a guy around age 50, went on to tell her that this was only the second time he has ever displayed a political sign on his lawn, but it's because he felt that strongly in favor of Scott Brown. He said the Warren supporter was visibly shaken. She told him that while she was still voting for Elizabeth Warren, he'd left her with a lot to think about.

A lot of people in Massachusetts should have done a lot of thinking before going to the polls this Tuesday. They got the U.S. Senate race wrong.

Some of you may know that "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" is a 1967 musical comedy by Clark Gesner, Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" comic strip. I couldn't resist doing a little tweaking of that title for this piece! Any similarities to Scott Brown end with that title, however! Scott's not a socially awkward little kid who couldn't lead his way out of a paper bag. He's a truly outstanding American who was a very hardworking and very good U.S. Senator. When was the last time you saw prominent Democrats such as former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn doing television commercials for a Republican candidate? When was the last time you saw a Republican's signs all over lawns all over the state? There had to be twenty Scott Brown signs for every Romney sign. When was the last time you saw prominent Massachusetts celebrities such as Doug Flutie and the Andelmans of the "Phantom Gourmet" radio and television shows actively promoting a Republican candidate? The fact is, Scott Brown, although registered as a Republican is far more than just a Republican. Brown's slogan, "He's for us" was absolutely correct.

I'm one of those "civics geeks" who follows what's going on in local politics. I knew who Scott Brown was long before he ran for U.S. Senator. I greatly admired him as a State Senator. Scott Brown was a great State Senator who (unlike Barack Obama when he was an Illinois State Senator) did not merely show up and vote "Present"! Scott Brown began his political career as an Assessor and Selectman in the Massachusetts Town of Wrentham (which for you non-New Englanders is very near the Patriots' Gillette Stadium). He did an outstanding job and had an outstanding reputation with people of all stripes in Massachuestts. His wife, Gail Huff, was a highly respected television reporter for Boston's ABC affiliate station. His daughter Ayla is a talented singer who was a semi-finalist on American Idol a few years ago. His other daughter Arianna is a competitive equestrian. Scott has served honorably for many years with the Massachusetts National Guard.

I will admit that I'm more socially conservative than is Scott Brown. I'm pro-life and he's pro-choice, for instance. There are other issues where we differ. I suspect that my good friend Ron differs with Scott Brown on some issues, too. Why, then, do people like Ron and me, and my sister Dianne feel so strongly about Scott Brown? (Dianne has said that if Brown runs for any political office in the future, she'll actively work in the campaign!) It's because he's a one in a million kind of guy and not at all a typical politician.

This week a woman called the Michael Graham radio show in Boston with a very touching story about Scott Brown. Her Dad had enlisted for military service just one month short of graduating from a Massachusetts high school. Now elderly, her Dad had always regretted not having his high school diploma. The woman had gone to the high school to ask if they'd award the diploma to her father, even at this late date. (The diploma was still sitting in a box at the school after all these years.) The school principal refused her request. She phoned Scott Brown's office. Amazingly, Scott Brown went to the school, got the diploma, and in a special ceremony at a Veteran's hall, Senator Scott Brown presented the high school diploma to her father! That's no isolated incident. A few years ago, I was honored to do the "blessing of the bikes" at a fundraising motorcycle ride for an 8-year-old girl with cancer. Guess who attended that event? Yes, Scott Brown who was a State Senator at that time.

Interestingly enough, virtually nothing has been said in the media about Scott Brown's Christian faith. If you check out Wikipedia, you'll see that: "Brown and his family are members of the Christian Reformed Church in North America and attend New England Chapel in Franklin, Massachusetts. They also have a relationship with a community of Cistercians, more commonly known as Trappistine, Roman Catholic nuns at Mount St. Mary's Abbey in Wrentham, Massachusetts." The Christian Reformed denomination is kind of interesting in that it's a very theologically Protestant denominations. It's one that a lot of people would label as evangelical. There are very few Christian Reformed Churches in New England. Most are in the upper mid-west, especially Michigan, and at least half Christian Reformed members in America are of Dutch ancestry. For those who understand theology, it's a very Calvinist organization. Christian Reformed people, however, unlike most evangelicals do not tend to be the types who beat people's doors down trying to evangelize them. Their faith tends to be more quiet and personal. So, they may not be jamming their faith down people's throats (which, again, liberal Democrats are supposed to view as a good thing) but they are people of faith.

There's so much more I could write about Scott Brown. In my opinion, Elizabeth Warren won't even come close to being the great Senator he has been. And, Marisa DeFranco who wanted to be the Democrat to run against Brown says that much of the negative stuff Brown spoke about Warren being in the pocket of big insurance companies is true! (If you doubt that, contact Marisa DeFranco. I have personally contacted her several times!)

You're a good man, Scott Brown! I hope you'll be back running for some political office in the future!