Posted on 11/08/2013 7:24:17 PM PST by ClaytonP
The Boston Globe reported Friday that national Republicans are actively recruiting former Massachusetts Sen. Scott P. Brown to run again — this time in New Hampshire.
With former Rep. Charles Bass the latest Republican to take a pass on the Senate race, the party is still in search of a top-tier challenger to take on Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Jerry Moran told the Globe that despite the speculation that Brown is simply flirting with a bid, he doesn’t think the former senator “is just fooling around.”
Of course, a successful Brown Senate bid would be nearly unprecedented. Just two senators have ever represented more than one state in the Senate, and it hasn’t happened since the 1870s, according to a list maintained by the Senate Historical Office.
“It will be uphill, no question about it, for him,” former Rep. Jeb Bradley, who also took a pass on this race, told CQ Roll Call. “But I think he’s certainly got as good a chance as any Republican that I can think of to be successful.”
New Hampshire’s other senator echoed that sentiment, believing that Brown would help expand the Senate landscape into New England.
“I served with Sen. Brown, I have a lot of respect for him,” Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said inside the Capitol on Tuesday in a brief interview with CQ Roll Call. “It’s up to him whether he’s going to run. But absolutely he’d be a very strong candidate.”
If Brown is planning to run for Senate, he’s not showing it by building any semblance of a campaign operation, according to operatives in the state. And Brown’s trips to Iowa, including one scheduled for next week, aren’t deflating talk that he’s considering a presidential bid.
Those who spoke with CQ Roll Call noted that Brown should come to a conclusion soon, as the appearance of flirting is not often rewarded by Granite State voters. Steve Duprey, a Republican National Committee member from New Hampshire, believes Brown would make an excellent candidate but said he hopes he’s nearing a decision.
“I think if Sen. Brown waits too much longer it will be difficult for him to run,” Duprey said. “Traditionally, New Hampshire voters haven’t liked candidates who do a long dance about whether they’re in or not. The field is wide open, but I would encourage him to make a decision soon.”
Shaheen, who state Republicans conceded is a formidable incumbent, continues to enjoy strong favorability numbers. She led Bass by 17 points in a hypothetical matchup in the WMUR Granite State Poll released last month. But state and national Republicans believe she could be be vulnerable with the right opponent.
Meanwhile, New Hampshire Democrats are ready to go on the offensive against Brown, tying him to Wall Street and an “anti-women agenda.”
“Last year, the Massachusetts voters who knew him best rejected Scott Brown’s record; he shouldn’t expect different results in New Hampshire,” state Democratic Party spokesman Harrell Kirstein said in an email.
The race is rated Democrat Favored by Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.
Sorry, Scotty. If you couldn’t defeat a fake Native America up to her high cheekbones in lies and fraud, then you’re pretty much done.
Also, we never appreciated you stabbing us in the back at every turn after our Tea Party surge put your ass in office.
As a toadie of Team Romney, Scott Brown
is an superb carpetbagger, impostor AND backstabber.
As a NH resident, Scott B. can keep his carpetbagging ass back in Mass.
NO MORE RINO’S like Ayotte.
He wasn’t very impressive the first time.
He should just go away.
Ugh! Live free or whatever, dude.
Ayotte and Murkowski dont want to be partnered with conservatives because that is the best chance that GOP voters stay at home when they come up for re election.
you left off “nude model”...
I thought Scott Brown was pretty good for a MASS Senator, he took some brave votes for the GOP considering his state voters.
MASS is not Texas.
I’m not too wild about people running to represent states where they don’t live, whether its politicians I like or politicians I don’t like.
Brown is from Massachusetts. If he wants to physically move his family and family home to another state, and live there for a while, and establish his business there, and show that he is actually committing to that state, fine. But that isn’t apparently what he’s doing. If he gets the nomination he’ll get a PO Box or rent the bedroom in someone’s house. I know there are other politicians who do that, but I don’t like it.
The same can be said for Ayotte. That's why she likes him.
A Massachusetts carpet bagging Democrat running for a New Hampshire Democrats seat? Meh, let me know how it turns out.
The big question is doesn’t New Hampshire already have enough Massholes?
Well, half the voters are carpet-baggers from Massachusetts.
That is funny. Back there on the east coast the states are as big as cities, or at least counties, out west.
Maine: Population 1.5 Million.
Sal-ute!
He got into office espousing conservative principles, he got bounced from office for violating them and the trust the people had in him. It is that simple.
The establishment has so violated the trust of decent principled citizens that they no longer show up to vote for those without them. Both of the last General Elections only proved that point.
The second Whig party is about to take its last gasp, all we are hearing now is the wheezing.
STARVE THE BEAST - Defund the GOP!
LOL. Los Angeles County population: 9,962,789. And at least a dozen of them have jobs.
Brown made many tough and brave votes for GOP and Marxist Liz Warren used those to knock him off in the most lib state.
When I heard a certain radio talk show host claim that Marxist Warren beat Brown because he wasn't conservative enough (insane logic) I understood why Christie did whatever he could to get re-elected,
Look at the thanks he would get if he lost his election.
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