Shortly after Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) was elected to the U.S. Senate, I opined that his election may have a silver lining, noting that while Sen. Brown was indeed a Republican, he was far from being a far-right Republican in the mold of some like Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK). While Sen. Brown welcomed the help of folks from the “tea party” movement to win his election, since assuming his office he’s fallen out of favor with his tea party backers. Brown’s voting record since assuming office has left many of his tea party backers frustrated, , and Brown also declined an invitation to appear at a Tea Party rally in Boston last week, an event headlined by former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Brown cited pressing legislative business as the reason for his no-show at the Tea Party rally, and while that may have been one of the reasons he decided not to attend the rally, his desire to win reelection in 2012 no doubt played a large role in his decision. While Sen. Brown rode the Tea Party wave to get elected, no doubt he realizes any reelection hopes he has will be pinned on his ability to work with both sides of the political spectrum, especially given the liberal leanings of Massachusetts.
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