Saturday, June 25, 2011

Who is Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewan Burke?

Who is Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewan Burke? [1]  The British and American entertainment world knows  Alexandra Burke as an English singer who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor.
As the winner of The X Factor, Burke released her debut single, "Hallelujah", originally a Leonard Cohen song, that became the current European record holder for single sales over a period of 24 hours: selling 105,000 copies in one day;[2] but also, the top-selling song of the year in the UK as well as becoming the 2008 Christmas number one single in the UK. By January 2009, sales of Burke's version of "Hallelujah" had passed one million copies which made her the first British female soloist to sell that amount of copies in the UK.[3]
Her debut album, Overcome, was released in October 2009 and entered the UK Albums Chart at number one. The album's lead single "Bad Boys" was released a week in advance to the album and debuted at number one in the UK: becoming her second consecutive number-one single and first Brit-nominated single.[4] She has sinced followed "Bad Boys" with singles that have consecutively stolen top ten places in the UK Singles Chart. To date, Alexandra has achieved 4 Number one singles across the UK and Ireland: "Hallelujah", "Bad Boys", "All Night Long" and "Start Without You".

Burke has been nominated twice for Brit Awards[4] and has achieved four solo number one singles: her most recent single "Start Without You"

"Start Without You"


became her third solo UK number one hit; as well as two number one singles as a featured artist in charity singles "Hero" and "Everybody Hurts". As of December 2010, Burke has sold over 4 million records in the U.K alone with combined sales of her singles and her debut album Overcome.[5]

Early life

Burke was born on 25 August 1988 in Islington, London. Her middle names come from her great grandmother (Imelda) and grandfather (Cecil) and her mother's maiden name (Ewan). She is the daughter of Jamaican-born David Burke and English-born Melissa Bell of Jamaican, Irish and Dougla descent, who is a former Soul II Soul member. Her parents separated when she was six. She has lived in Islington all of her life and has four brothers and one sister.
Burke started singing when she was five and at nine years old, she sang on stage in Bahrain with her mother. At the age of twelve, Burke entered the TV talent show Star for a Night where she was the youngest person in the competition. She was beaten to the number-one spot by Joss Stone. At age twelve, she sang down the phone to Stevie Wonder.[citation needed] When Burke's mother asked her to sing to Jean Carne, Carne was so impressed that she asked her to perform at her show the next night.[citation needed]
Burke attended Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in Islington, Angel and after her GCSEs she left school to pursue a career in music. Before her X Factor success, she had been working as a singer, gigging at weekends in clubs.[1] She also went on tour with "Young Voices", a charity that raises money for children with leukemia, where she performed at large venues such as the Royal Albert Hall.

Career

2005–2009: The X Factor

Burke auditioned for the second series of The X Factor in 2005 (which was eventually won by Shayne Ward). She made it through to the final seven in Louis Walsh's 16–24 category, effectively the top 21 of the competition; however, Walsh did not choose her for his final four as he felt that she was too young for the competition. Burke however did not give up and went on to seek professional singing lessons over the next three years, proving her dedication and commitment to becoming a popstar.
Burke's second bid to win The X Factor came in 2008. Falling into the "Girls" category, she was mentored by Girls Aloud's Cheryl Cole who selected her for the finals—a series of ten weekly live shows in which contestants are progressively eliminated by public vote. On the first live show, Burke performed Whitney Houston's classic "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". For the second live show she covered "I'll Be There" by The Jackson 5. In week three, big band week, Burke performed Christina Aguilera's "Candyman" and received her first standing ovation. For the disco-themed fourth live show, Burke performed Donna Summer's "On the Radio". During Mariah Carey week on 8 November, Burke and the other finalists met Carey for individual masterclasses, with Carey complimenting Burke on her voice. Burke performed "Without You" and received a standing ovation from the judges who all gave her positive comments. Cowell commented that "by any standard, that was just outstanding". Following the show Burke's performance was also praised by Carey who called her rendition of the song "absolutely amazing".
In weeks 6 and 7, Burke received positive comments from the judging panel for her performances of Alicia Keyes's "Empire state of mind" and Dan Hartman's "Relight My Fire" (the popularity of which in the UK is mostly a result of Take That's 1993 revival thereof). Week 8 saw her replace Diana Vickers as the bookies' favourite after performing Britney Spears' "Toxic" and Beyoncé Knowles' "Listen", for which she received yet another standing ovation. In week 9, Burke performed Rihanna's hit song "Don't Stop the Music" and again received positive comments, with Louis calling her "the British Beyoncé" and Simon commenting "...We may be seeing the birth of a star here [...] you've got it all, that was a terrific performance". Diana Vickers was eliminated in the semi-final, to the shock and upset of both Burke and Eoghan Quigg. Burke confessed after Vickers' final performance that she thought Vickers was going to win.
Burke was joined in the grand final by Irish teenager Eoghan Quigg and boyband JLS. She sang "Listen" as a duet with Beyoncé (who later performed her UK number-one single "If I Were a Boy"), and after performing with the American singer she proclaimed: "I have achieved a dream".
After the elimination of Quigg she sang what became her debut single, a 1984 song by Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah, for the first time. Finally, with over eight million votes cast in total, Burke was revealed as the winner with 58% of the final vote.[6] The single went on to become the Christmas number one of 2008, holding the top spot for three weeks and selling one million copies. There was also a campaign to take Jeff Buckley's cover of Hallelujah to the top of the Christmas chart to deny Burke the top spot.[7][8] The campaign was fuelled by Jeff Buckley fans' dislike of The X Factor's commercialism and the song's arrangement,[9][10] as well as a desire by this contingent to introduce younger music fans to Buckley's version.[11] Burke herself was not enamoured of the choice of song, and dismissed the original by remarking "It just didn’t do anything for me".[10]
As winner, Burke received a recording contract with record label, Syco, which is co-owned by Sony Music Entertainment. The contract has a stated value of £1 million, of which £150,000 is a cash advance and the remainder is allocated to recording and marketing costs.[12]

2009–2010: Overcome

On 13 February 2009 it was reported that Burke signed a £3.5 million, five-album US record deal with Epic Records.[13] Burke's first album was originally scheduled for March 2009, however, Simon Cowell confirmed that her album was scheduled for release later in the year to allow Burke to polish her skills and find the right songs for the album, so that it would not be rushed. The album was released on 19 October 2009 in the UK, titled Overcome.[14]
Burke's first commercial single from her debut album is titled "Bad Boys",

"Bad Boys"


which features Flo Rida. The single premiered in the UK on The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 on 25 August 2009.[15] On 18 October 2009, Bad Boys topped the UK Singles Chart.[16] After visiting Burke in the studio, Beyoncé spoke of possibly recording a duet with her[17] and also asked for Burke to join her for Beyonce's second European leg of her I Am… Tour.[18] Bad Boys was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry on 7 January 2010.
American rapper 50 Cent has expressed an interest in Burke, correctly predicting that she would win The X Factor and invited her to appear in an upcoming music video of his, most likely for a song from his upcoming album Before I Self Destruct.[19] On 19 July 2009, Burke confirmed that she had signed a six figure contract with Italian fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana, to become the face of a new fashion line. She will also model their clothes and accessories in her music videos. Burke performed on the Royal Variety Show on 7 December 2009.[20]
It was confirmed by Burke on 17 November 2009, that "Broken Heels" would be the second commercial single, (third overall), from Overcome.[21] She also confirmed via her Official Twitter page that the video was shot in Los Angeles on 22 and 23 November 2009.[22] On 18 January 2010, Burke began her European Promo Tour in Brussels, Belgium.[23] On 12 March 2010, Burke confirmed on Twitter that "All Night Long" will be her new single, featuring Pitbull. She appeared on Dancing on Ice during the semi-final to perform All Night Long.[24]
On 29 April 2010, Burke entered FHM's poll for the world's top 100 sexiest women 2010 at number 75. This is her first appearance on the poll since she rose to fame in 2008.[25] It has been since confirmed that Burke's next single will be a completely new song, "Start Without You",

"Start Without You"


which is set to be released on 5 September 2010.[26] The video for "Start Without You" debuted on August 19 through VEVO on later premiered on The BOX.[27] The song was performed at T4 On The Beach on 4 July 2010. Additionally, Burke was announced as the first ever brand ambassador for Sure Women, for which she starred in a television advert.[28] Burke gained her fifth consecutive top ten hit, and her third number one single, after Start Without You stormed to the top of the charts, beating Katy Perry to the top spot.
The re-packaged edition of Overcome is to be released of November 29, 2010.[29] Music Week reports that the deluxe makeover will include three brand new tracks; "Perfect", "Before the Rain" and "What Happens On the Dancefloor" featuring Cobra Starship; as well as three number one and two Top 10 singles (including "Start Without You"). A DVD will accompany the release featuring seven videos, including an exclusive promo for the track 'The Silence'. The magazine also confirmed that Burke will promote the record with a performance on The X Factor. A new track on the album was recently revealed to be a duet with "an amazing group". On October 25 Alex revealed via her twitter that a new version of "The Silence" (song) will be the albums 5th commercial single being released in early December.[30] The official music video for The Silence was released on 27 October 2010, via MSN Videos UK.[31] It was confirmed that there would be no further singles from the album after "The Silence".[32]

 2010–Present: Untitled upcoming second album

Alexandra revealed that her next album will get "down and dirty", promising the record that will take risks. "It’s got to be sexy. So I’m going to get a lot fiercer and sexier. We’re just getting down and dirty with the next album. I’m going to take a lot more risks and it’s going to be insane." She also hinted at any collaborations on the LP, "I can’t say too much because my management will kill me if I let loose. But I have a special duet planned. I have the ideas, the collaborations in my mind - it’s all locked up in my head." The album is confirmed to be "half-way" finished, and revealed that she is planning to go to New York to record some new tracks. Recording is expected to stop from January to March, and then resuming after. Alex confirmed that she has worked with the Moroccan producer RedOne for a lot of the album, but hopes to work with David Guetta, Bruno Mars, Stargate and Ne-Yo, among others.[32]

Discography

Main article: Alexandra Burke discography
Studio albums

Tours

Awards and nominations

Year Nominated work Award Result
2009 "Hallelujah" BRIT Award for Best British Single[34] Nominated
"Hero" Nominated
Alexandra Burke MOBO Award for Best UK Newcomer[35] Nominated
2010 "Bad Boys" BRIT Award for Best British Single[36] Nominated
Alexandra Burke Glamour Women of the Year Awards for Best Newcomer[37] Won
Overcome Urban Music Award for Best Album 2010 Nominated
"All Night Long" Urban Music Award for Best Collaboration (with Pitbull) Nominated
Urban Music Award for Best Music Video Nominated
Alexandra Burke BT Digital Music Awards for Best Female Artist Nominated
"Bad Boys" BT Digital Music Awards for Best Song Nominated
BT Digital Music Awards for Best Video Nominated
The 2010 Popjustice £20 Music Prize Nominated
Alexandra Burke MOBO Award for Best UK Act Nominated
Cosmopolitan for Ultimate UK Music Star Won
MTV Europe Music Award for Best Push Act Nominated
XS AWARDS for Best British Star Won
WSC Gala Awards 2010 for Best Female Artist[38] Nominated

Philanthropy

Before her X Factor appearance and success, Burke went on tour with "Young Voices", a charity that helps to raise money for children with leukemia, where she performed many times at large venues such as the Royal Albert Hall.
Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, many celebrities, including Burke, wanted to help the suffering people of the country. She was confirmed for the Haiti Charity single, Everybody Hurts, commenting "I hope the single raises lots of money. It's great that we can come together and do this. It's a very special song." Soon after, Burke revealed she would be travelling to Haiti so she can physically help the people out there, saying "For me, singing two lines on a single doesn't mean I have really helped. I wanted to go out and physically help the kids. I'm not a doctor, but I can give clothes, food and love. At least I'll be able to make a couple of kids smile." Burke visited and helped in the week beginning 8 February 2010, and posted two video blogs about her visit on YouTube.[39] She later returned six months later to check the progress of the country after being a huge part in the Save the Children charity campaign.[40]
Alexandra was confirmed to join various female celebrities to join the Peru Inka Trail Hike for Breast Cancer Care, along with Fearne Cotton, Denise Van Outen, and Holly Willoughby.[41]

 

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Who is Scott Philip Brown?

Who is Scott Philip Brown? , The political world knows Scott Brown as an American politician, who is currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. Brown is a member of the Republican Party. Before his election, he 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).[3][4]
Brown defeated the Democratic candidate, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, in the 2010 U.S. Senate special election to serve the remainder of the term vacated by the death of Ted Kennedy, a term that will expire at the beginning of 2013. Brown became the first Republican elected to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts since Edward Brooke in 1972.[5] While initially trailing Coakley in polling by a large margin, Brown closed the gap in the first weeks of January 2010 before going on to win the election.[6][7][8][9] He is the first Republican from Massachusetts to serve in the U.S. Congress in any capacity since 1997.
Prior to entering the state legislature, he had experience as a town selectman and assessor. He is a practicing attorney, concentrating in real estate law[10][11][12] and serving 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).

Early life and education

Brown was born on September 12, 1959 in Kittery, Maine[13] and grew up in Wakefield, Massachusetts.[14] He often spent his summers in Newburyport, Massachusetts, where his father served as a city councilor for 18 years. Brown's father, C. Bruce Brown, and mother,[14] Judith,[2] divorced when he was about a year old. Both his parents have since remarried three times. 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.[15] Scott Brown recalls holding campaign signs for his father.[2]
Against All Odds







Brown had a difficult childhood; after her divorce his working mother received welfare benefits.[16] Brown experienced sexual abuse from a camp counselor who threatened to kill the ten-year-old boy if he told anyone—which he did not disclose even to his family until his autobiography Against All Odds (2011)[17]—and physical abuse from his stepfathers.[18] During various periods of his childhood, Brown lived with his grandparents and his aunt. He shoplifted many times,[18] and was arrested for stealing record albums and brought before Judge Samuel Zoll in Salem, Massachusetts at the age of 13 or 14.[19] 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."[14]
He graduated from Wakefield High School in 1977.[4] He received a Bachelors of Arts in History,[20] 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.[13][21]

Non-political 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,[14] and attending Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) classes at the campus of Northeastern University.[22] He has been active in the Guard for about 30 years and has risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Presently serving as the Army Guard's head defense attorney in New England, Brown defends Guard members who have disciplinary difficulties such as positive drug tests,[2] and provides estate planning and real estate advice to those who are about to deploy to war zones.[22]
Expressing regret that he will soon be forced to retire from the Guard,[23] Brown has said: "I'm probably one of the most qualified soldiers in the entire Massachusetts [Guard].... I have enlisted service, I have infantry, quartermaster, JAG, I'm airborne qualified, I've been to all the courses."[14] He has not served in Iraq or Afghanistan, but Brown said he was prepared to go if called. "I go where they order me to go... I'm just proud to serve and be part of the team."[2] He spent ten days to two weeks with the Guard in Kazakhstan and a week in Paraguay.[2]
He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service in homeland security shortly after the September 11 attacks.[4] He credits his military experience with causing him to focus on veteran's issues as well as issues of war and peace.[2] 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.[2]

Modeling



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[18] 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[2][24][25] 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.[26]

Early political career

Brown began his political career in 1992 when he was elected property assessor of Wrentham, Massachusetts. At that time, he "caught the political bug."[2] In 1995, he was elected to the Wrentham Board of Selectmen.
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. 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 and public safety as well as veterans affairs.[21]
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.[27]
The Boston Globe reported that during six terms in the Legislature, three each in the House and Senate, Brown has a modest record of legislative initiatives, but he has 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."[28] 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."[28]
As a legislator, Brown lists among his achievements 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[29] that provides $1,000 for those returning from active duty in Afghanistan or Iraq.[28]

U.S. Senate

2010 election

On September 12, 2009, Brown announced his run for the U.S. Senate seat that became vacant on the death of Ted Kennedy, saying the state "needs an independent thinker."[30][31] Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker[32] 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".[33] 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.[34][35]
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.[36]
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.[37]
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.[38][39] Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report stated on January 17 that he would put his "finger on the scale" for Scott 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".[40] Suffolk University's polling of three bellwether counties on January 18 had Brown leading Coakley by double-digit margins.[41] Brown won the January 19 election, performing well in traditional Republican strongholds and holding rival Coakley's margins down in many Democratic precincts.[42][43][44]


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.[45] This amendment would have allowed individual healthcare workers and hospitals to refuse to provide emergency contraceptive care 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.[46] 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."[46] 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.[46]
In the 2010 Senate race, although Brown was not endorsed by the Greater Boston Tea Party group,[47] the group organized a fund-raising breakfast for him in Boston.[48] The Tea Party Express also endorsed Brown[49] and bought ads on the national cable networks supporting Brown.[50]
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."[51] According to Politifact, while Brown was a Massachusetts legislator, he voted about 90 percent with the state Republican leadership;[52] however, Republican Leadership in the Massachusetts legislature is generally considered far more moderate than the national Republican Party.[53]
On election night, after Coakley conceded, Brown gave a victory speech that concluded, "I'm Scott Brown, I'm from Wrentham, I drive a truck, and I am nobody's senator but yours."[54]

Tenure

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.[55] As a Class I Senator, his term will last until January 3, 2013.
Brown was among the speakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., introducing former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.[56] 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 senior Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts for indicating their willingness to work with him across party lines.[57] Scott 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.[58] 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.[59]

Political positions

Brown has positioned himself as a conservative counterweight to Massachusetts' previously all-Democratic, 12-member congressional delegation.[2][14] He 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."[14]

Fiscal policy

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.[61][62] 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 TARP, stating: "Banks making lending decisions with government funds is not the way to get our economy moving again.’’[63]
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."[64] 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.[64]

Foreign policy

On December 9. 2010 Brown filibustered the Defense Authorization Bill of 2011, denying the bill a chance of an up or down vote on provisions to raise military salaries and provide increased armor to troops. He supports 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.[2] He also advocates that suspected terrorists be tried in military tribunals and not civilian courts.[22] He also supports the limited use of "enhanced interrogation techniques", including waterboarding against non-citizen terrorist suspects.[65] 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.[66]

Veteran 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.[4] Brown also amended the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, with Senator Jack Reed (D, 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.[67]

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.[68]
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[69] 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.[70] The amendment did not pass.[71] 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.[71][72]

Energy policy

He supports expanding solar, wind, and nuclear power, and offshore drilling exploration as a means to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil.[14] Although, 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 due to the fact he believed it would hinder tourism and boating in the area.[73] He supports tax incentives to promote alternative energy development. Brown opposes cap and trade which he argues is a national energy tax.[74]

Social issues

Brown refers to the currently legalized same-sex marriage in Massachusetts as a settled issue, which he does not wish to change.[2] Brown has said he personally believes marriage is between a man and a woman, but would oppose a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.[75] He is in favor of civil unions.[14] He opposes ending the Defense of Marriage Act, but otherwise favors leaving the issue to the states to decide.[9] After initially claiming neutrality on don't ask, don't tell, the ban on openly gay military personnel,[76] he joined a handful of Republicans who broke with their party to repeal the ban in December 2010.[77][78]
Brown has supported a presumption of shared parenting after divorce and was a co-sponsor of Fathers and Families HB 1460.[79]
Brown has stated that Roe v. Wade is settled law. He is against intact dilation and evacuation abortions (known by opponents as "partial birth abortion") and has spoken in favor of parental consent[14] for minors who seek an abortion. He said he would not use abortion as a litmus test in Supreme Court confirmations.[14] He opposes federal funding for elective abortion in accordance with the Hyde Amendment.[9]

Crime and security

Brown supports strengthening Massachusetts sex offender penalties.[79] He also supports the death penalty.[66] He supports the right to bear arms, with some restrictions such as licenses and background checks.[79]
He opposes providing driver's licenses and in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. He also supports strengthening border enforcement and creating an employment verification system with penalties for companies that hire illegal immigrants.[66]

Organizational associations and honors




Brown is a 30-year member of the Massachusetts National Guard, in which he currently holds the rank of lieutenant 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.[81][82] He has also completed Airborne School and been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.
A member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, Brown is also involved in the Wrentham Lions Club, United Chamber of Commerce, North Attleboro/Plainville Chamber of Commerce, Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce, and USA Triathlon Federation. He serves as a Board Member of the 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership Inc., and serves on the Hockomock Area YMCA Board of Incorporators.[83]
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.[84] 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.[85] The Boston Globe selected Brown as the 2010 Bostonian of the Year, citing his "profound impact on national politics in the last year".[80]

Personal life

Family

Gail Huff
Brown is married to former WCVB-TV reporter Gail Huff, whom he met through modeling. They have two daughters, Ayla, an American Idol semi-finalist and attending Boston College, and Arianna, a competitive equestrian and pre-medical student at Syracuse University.[26] Besides their primary home in Massachusetts, the couple owns a home in Rye, New Hampshire, three rental condos in Boston, and a timeshare on the Caribbean island of Aruba.[14][86][87][88]

Religion

Brown and his family worship at New England Chapel in Franklin, Massachusetts, a member of the Christian Reformed Church in North America which is a Protestant Christian denomination. They also have a relationship with a community of Cistercians, more commonly known as Trappistine,[89][90] Roman Catholic nuns at Mount St. Mary's Abbey in Wrentham, Massachusetts. The Brown family has raised over $5 million for the order, helping to install solar panels, a wind turbine and a candy manufacturing plant that the order operates.[14]















 

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