Brown backs jobs

After his upset victory in a special Massachusetts election last month, Republican Sen. Scott Brown said he would base his Senate votes on the needs of the people of his state, not the desires of party leadership. In his first critical vote, Sen. Brown proved good on his word.

Sen. Brown cast the first Republican vote Monday against using a filibuster to block a $15 billion job-creation bill submitted by the Democratic majority. Subsequently, four other Republicans also put job creation ahead of their leadership's desire to once again deny the majority a legislative victory, among them moderate Olympia J. Snowe of Maine.

The result was a 62-30 vote, two votes more than necessary to avoid a filibuster.

The bill is modest in its scope, given the size of the jobless problem, and market-oriented in its design, making it even more baffling why 30 Republicans would try to prevent it from even getting to a vote. It provides companies hiring unemployed workers an exemption from payroll taxes on those workers through the end of the year, along with a $1,000 tax credit for every new employee on the payroll for 52 weeks.

It still has to be reconciled with a House desire to seek a more comprehensive jobs bill. Senate majority leader Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada said once the current proposal receives approval he plans to pursue other job creation measures. Meanwhile, Republican minority leader Mitchell McConnell of Kentucky said his party has its own ideas to make it easier for businesses to hire new workers.

"Those ideas should be considered, too," he said. Indeed they should, though the Senate is awaiting details. Getting Republicans involved can build upon the small bipartisan progress that began with the filibuster-preventing vote.

If Senate Republicans abuse the filibuster process, they indeed risk becoming the "party of no." The public wants action, particularly on jobs, and a few members of the Grand Old Party, at least, recognize that.