A Hill staffer, who spoke with TPM by phone, sends this dispatch from the Senate side in the wake of today’s PPP poll showing former White House financial reform adviser Elizabeth Warren leading Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA):
“Just walked passed Senator Brown’s office and in the hallway was the man himself, lamenting into his cell phone, ‘I don’t understand how she can be down 20 points one week and is now up 2. What is going on?’”
Our tipster describes the scene:
Was heading to a meeting after just having read your reporting on the new poll. Was just about to walk by Senator Brown’s personal office when he walked out of the main door of his office, cell phone in hand. He was mid-conversation but was responding to something on the other line with the line I reported. Was kind of dumbfounded to hear that kind of candor in a very public hallway. I’m guessing he realized that too, because he then looked over his shoulder, saw me, and hurriedly entered a side down to his office down the hall.
Brown’s campaign told TPM they’re not sweating the new poll, but said they’re expecting a fight to keep the seat Brown won surprisingly after Sen. Ted Kennedy (D) died.
“We have always known that Scott would be the underdog against whichever candidate wins the Democratic primary next September,” spokesperson Colin Reed told TPM “But Scott has been an underdog his entire life, and has always come back to win against all odds. This campaign will be no different.”
Other Republicans are dismissing the poll from the Democratic-leaning firm PPP (one of the first pollsters to see Brown’s victory coming back in January of 2010, it should be noted) and suggesting it’s not completely on the level.
“It’s hardly a surprise that a Democrat polling firm funded in part by SEIU and which donates money to national Democrats would be doing their part to try to advance the anointed candidate of the Washington Democrat establishment,” Brian Walsh, spokesperson for the NRSC told TPM. “That being said, we will see who ultimately emerges as the Democrat candidate a year from now after they work through their seven-way primary.”
Evan McMorris-Santoro
Evan McMorris-Santoro has covered politics for TPM since 2009. Before that, he was a reporter at National Journal’s Hotline covering election 2008. He started his career covering local politics at newspapers in TN and his native NC.
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