In Mass. Senate race, Obama brought into the fray

Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Scott Brown, who are running in Massachusetts' closely watched U.S. Senate race.

/ CBS/Getty Images

(CBS News) - In many parts of the country, Republican candidates are running against President Obama, even if he's not technically the Democratic opponent on the ballot. But in Massachusetts, Republican Sen. Scott Brown is touting his work with the president to convince voters to give him a second term.

Brown is in a high-profile race against Elizabeth Warren, the liberal law professor and former Obama administration official who was the driving force behind the creation of the newly formed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The Republican incumbent, who won the seat in a 2010 special election following longtime Sen. Ted Kennedy's death, delivered a speech at Bunker Hill Community College in Charlestown this afternoon highlighting his efforts to shepherd through bills with bipartisan support in the Senate, and the need for members of both parties to work together. He also touted his willingness to appear alongside the president to celebrate a "shared accomplishment."

"A few people told me that maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea to go to the signing ceremony at the White House," he said, of the portion of Mr. Obama's jobs package that eventually did pass, according to prepared remarks released by his campaign. "But when the invitation came, I answered 'yes' right away. Of course I wanted to be there to see a commonsense idea become law. That law wouldn't be any better or worse if it were a Republican president signing it. There's such a thing as shared accomplishment, and in my book it sure beats sharing the blame for doing nothing at all."

On Tuesday, his campaign released a radio ad stressing that one of his proudest moments was standing with President Obama as he signed the  "Hire A Hero" bill, which offers tax credits to businesses that hire veterans

"There has to be a basic respect across party lines," Brown said Wednesday. "Without it, all you're going to get are bad laws and a lot of ill will. And let me tell you, in politics just like in the rest of life, once you let a bitter spirit take over, nothing good will ever come from it."

Warren, meanwhile, is making an apparent effort to reinforce her image as a consumer advocate and force for the working class amid attempts from the Brown campaign to paint her as an out-of-touch member of the Harvard elite.

In a new television ad, "Rose Garden," which will air statewide in Massachusetts, Warren touts her relationship with Mr. Obama, who tapped her to help establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2010.

The 30-second spot features the president praising Warren for her work as a consumer advocate, overlaying images of the two together with the president's remarks.

"Elizabeth Warren: She's a janitor's daughter who has become one of the country's fiercest advocates for the middle class," Obama says. "She came up with an idea for a new, independent agency that would have one simple, overriding mission: standing up for consumers and middle-class families."

The video, which also features Warren speaking about her dedication to holding big banks accountable, closes with a photo of Warren and the president laughing together in the Oval Office.

Warren and Brown have already become ensconced in a high-profile, high-cost battle for the blue state's Senate seat. Both have raised millions of dollars to date, with Warren bringing in a haul of $6.9 million in 2012 so far, and Brown raising $3.4 million. The two also made a pact promising to eschew outside money - ostensibly keeping super PAC money out of the race.

Both candidates have in recent days come under fierce personal attacks from the other side of the aisle. Last week, Brown's campaign demanded Warren apologize for "participating in Harvard's diversity sham" by allowing the school to list her Native American lineage in "their attempts to demonstrate diversity on their campus faculty"; the Warren campaign, meanwhile, hammered Brown Tuesday after the Boston Globe reported that his 23-year-old daughter had been enjoying the benefits of Mr. Obama's health care overhaul even while Brown promised to repeal it.

The race is expected to be very close. Most recent polls show the candidates within points of each other, and the scrutiny is only expected to increase as November approaches.

Anticipating the impending political circus, both candidates are making efforts to keep their messages clear.

"I didn't run for this office - setting out as the longest of long shots, putting I don't know how many miles on my truck - all so that I could take orders from party leaders or anyone else," Brown said this afternoon. "Each time the roll is called, I know that the decision is mine alone to make, going by my own lights and trying to show the best of Massachusetts."

[Fox_Rush_Zombie]

by Lucas4440 May 2, 2012 9:44 PM EDT
More like stop being a Marxist and socialist would sure go a long way and not only with the GOP but with the majority of Americans who know this is a Republic and not the Soviet Union.
***********************

ROFL!!!

You dumb, dumb pugs crack me up! The 'Soviet Union' was formally the 'United Soviet Socialist REPUBLIC'... the U.S.S.R.

Then, of course, there's the 'People's REPUBLIC of China'.

A 'REPUBLIC', my fine feathered friend, is any form of government other than a dictatorship. The United States of America is a 'DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC'... a democracy. If republicans get their way it will become a 'PLUTOCRACY'... it will still be a republic, but under the control of the elite minority instead of the people.

Stop listening to Beck, it's making you really crazy.

[wfw3536]

Ms Warren actually listed herself as a minority member of the law school and used this status to promote herself. She said she wanted to be listed as a fellow American Indian so she could meet more folks in an interview on TV today. How sad these politicans just can't tell the truth.

[AOCGUY]

Well yesterday I posted in response to Smokey75 I said that I would go after libs today since I seemed to be hard on conservatives (well hard on biaslib) yesterday. But at least for now I'm going to be an equal opprtunity offender.

I'm not sure why Warren decided to challenge Brown this year. Despite receiving strong support from the ultra conservative wing of the GOP during his first campaign (including the Tea Party), Scott Brown has actually been from what I seen as a reasoned representative and has not displayed the rapid partisanship that most of Congress has. In fact he has been roundly criticized by his own party (well the right wing of that party) for crossing the aisle to work with his democratice counterparts. So you dems who knww-jerk criticize Brown solely because he has an (R) after his name are just as bad as the the republicans that equate liberalism with marxism.

[Fox_Rush_Zombie]

Actually, Brown is a republican in a state that historically votes democratic... he is vunerable. It is a matter of life and death for our democracy that the democratic party gain seats in both houses of congress as well as retain the whitehouse.

No one 'hates' Brown, we just need his senate seat on our side of the aisle.

[aintfakin]

whaaaa?
Brown is actually sayin he is willing to work with the other side?
That is suicide in the goosestepping GOP.

[unclebernies]

Warren is a true patriot while on the other hand Brown is just a corporate hack. I have faith in the people in Mass. that Brown gets removed from his seat

[AOCGUY]

See my post above. I suspect the only thing you know about Scott Brown is that he is a Republican. Ergo your comment makes you the hack.

[Ourdoc1]

Bipartisan? The number one priority of the RepukliCONS, is to remove Democrats especially Obama. The only way he could be bipartisan is if he became an Independent.

[AOCGUY]

DJ, So the GOP doesn't have the same goal?

[DebbieCorona]

How does Brown even remain in the GOP when to vote out of step or bipartisian is grounds for the GOP to run someone against you. There are huge runs of GOP v GOP because the party is so split. Brown will not be able to vote bipartisian in the next Senate as the GOP has made it quite clear to their members to vote party or expect the party to vote against you. It's pretty clear for the voters. It is not what a specific candidate says but what their party says. If you support the GOP positions on the economy vote Brown. If you support the Dems on the economy vote Warren. There is no center Dem or GOP anymore or one that votes for their constituents so figure out which way you lean and then vote.

[rsamps1]

Sorry, Mr. Brown, get out of town. Nice try touting bipartianship, but it simply isn't true, & is too little, way too late. After Ted's passing, Mr. Brown won in a freak upset and clearly is underqualified & grossly inept to fill the shoes of Ted Kennedy. Move aside sir, you have no chance, Mr. Brown, at getting re-elected. Welcome, Senator Warren!

[tvwatcher5345]

brown supported a lieberman bill to have anyone even suspected of associating with a terrorist organization would automatically lose their US citizenship, no due process, nothing, i'm not sure what constitution brown and lieberman were reading that day (maybe a constitution from 1917 or 1938), but does brown realize how many irish in and around boston would lose their citizenship if a bill like that passed??..... i think i am going to vote for brown

[TJphoto]

The only time a republican will be bipartisan is when it is in their own personal interest.If it's not, it's NO-NO-NO