Boston Herald editorial slams Senator Brown for inaction on Irish E3 visa bill

By: Niall O'Dowd | Published Friday, March 16, 2012, 8:00 AM | Updated Friday, March 16, 2012, 10:37 AM

Senator Scott Brown

Senator Scott Brown (R-Massachusetts) has caught a bellyful from the Boston Herald editorial writers for his deeply unimpressive performance on the E3 visa bill which would help 10,500 Irish to emigrate legally to America.

This kind of hometown broadside from a mass circulation newspaper is exactly what Brown does not want to read, but the Herald has it exactly right.

Brown is in a tough re-election race and needs all the support he can get.

Brown shot his mouth off a few weeks back, saying he had a deal in the bag and since then -- nothing.

Kudos to the Boston Herald, a Republican leaning newspaper, for telling it like it is.

Brown has talked a big game but has delivered zilch. Press releases proclaiming victory are no substitute for the real thing.

Hopefully the editorial reproduced below, will stiffen his spine.

Here is the Herald editorial;

It was one of those what’s-not-to-like kind of bills. A Senate bill — quickly dubbed the Irish immigration bill — would increase the number of work visas allocated to Irish nationals by 10,500 a year. Currently the so-called E-3 visa program applies only to Australian nationals. It’s part of the hodge-podge of immigration laws and visa programs that apply to some 20 other countries, not to mention occupational categories.
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Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) filed legislation back in December to broaden the E-3 program and his bill was added to a broader proposal by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) aimed at bringing in skilled workers from China and India.

OK, as far as we’re concerned you can’t have too much of a good thing — and immigrants with the skill set that American business needs, who want to come here legally are a very good thing.

So you’d think with bipartisan support (and Schumer is supposed to have Democrats in the Senate lined up behind the bill), this would indeed be a no-brainer.

In fact, Brown announced with fanfare back on Feb. 8 that the bill was “ready to pop.” He gave several interviews to that effect and his office indicated he had twice written to Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who had been holding up Schumer’s bill in what was reported to be an effort to cut some other immigration-related deal.

Brown thought he had a deal. But more than a month later what was “ready to pop” has apparently pooped out. Asked what the status of the bill was Brown’s press office replied, “Schumer and Grassley will have more information.” Okey dokey then.

The lesson for Brown, who badly wanted this election year victory, may be that press releases are cheap, but wheeling and dealing on Capitol Hill — especially with the likes of Grassley — takes a whole bunch of effort and a whole lot of brass. And this is no time to show weakness.