As Elizabeth Warren's problems with Democrats in Massachusetts continue to grow, the New Republic recently profiled the Harvard Professor in a piece full of criticism from well known Bay State Democrats.
In the article, many of those same democrats praised Scott Brown's cross-party appeal; a former Democratic president of the Boston City Council said, "Scott Brown walks into a room without an entourage, drinks beer out of a bottle, attends events, enjoys himself, and stays. And he's a really easy guy to like."
In recent weeks, Brown has released a series of "Democrat For Brown" television spots that feature testimonials from high-profile Democratic leaders, including Ray Flynn and Konnie Lukes, the former Mayors of Boston and Worcester, the two largest cities in the Commonwealth.
Among the highlights of the New Republic piece:
Tom Birmingham, The Former Democratic President Of The State Senate: "I'm Candidly Perplexed By What's Going On." "'I'm candidly perplexed by what's going on,' says Tom Birmingham, the former Democratic president of the state Senate. 'Because I did think that, if the Democrats had a strong candidate-and I would have regarded Elizabeth Warren as a strong candidate-that we'd really be in a favorable position.'"
Birmingham On Warren's Native American Controversy: "If She Weren't Using It For Her Academic Advantage, She Hasn't Come Up With A Plausible Explanation For Why She Was Claiming It." "So far, polls suggest the Cherokee story has had little impact. But Birmingham was convinced it had drawn blood, by identifying Warren with a diversity-obsessed ivory tower, and he feared many voters wouldn't give her the benefit of the doubt. 'If she weren't using it for her academic advantage, she hasn't come up with a plausible explanation for why she was claiming it,' Birmingham says.
He went on: 'The only fear about Warren has been borne out. Although on paper she seemed great, she's very articulate, people think she'll kill Brown in the debates, she's very, very smart. But as a candidate she's completely untested.'"
Larry Dicara, A Former Democratic President Of The Boston City Council: "Scott Brown Walks Into A Room Without An Entourage, Drinks Beer Out Of A Bottle, Attends Events, Enjoys Himself, And Stays. And He's A Really Easy Guy To Like." "It was a packed house on a Friday night last January at the Elks Lodge in the solidly Democratic Boston neighborhood of West Roxbury. Several hundred locals had turned out to welcome home Mike Rush, a Democratic state senator who'd just completed an eight-month tour in Iraq with the Naval Reserves. Warren did not attend-but Brown did ... DiCara's law firm has held a fund-raiser for Warren, but he didn't hide his admiration for Brown. 'Scott Brown walks into a room without an entourage, drinks beer out of a bottle, attends events, enjoys himself, and stays. And he's a really easy guy to like.'"
DiCara On Scott Brown's Appeal To Democrats: "'I'm Guessing That, In This Crowd Of People, That On Paper Are Heavily Democratic Registration, He Will Do Very, Very Well,' Larry Dicara, A Former Democratic President Of The Boston City Council, Told Me Recently."
Jim Shannon, A Former Democratic Congressman And State Attorney General: "At This Relatively Late Point In The Campaign, I Don't Have A Fix On What Type Of Candidate She Is." "When I made the rounds of the state's Democratic old guard, I was surprised at how openly they disparaged Warren. Jim Shannon, a former Democratic congressman and state attorney general, told me, 'At this relatively late point in the campaign, I don't have a fix on what type of candidate she is.'
Boston Mayor Tom Menino has conspicuously avoided endorsing her altogether. In particular, veteran politicos were dismayed by the Cherokee controversy-the revelation that Warren's Ivy League employers had counted her as a Native American, despite scant genealogical evidence. 'You look at it and say, 'Shouldn't that be a one- or two-day deal?'' says Shannon. 'It turned into a month.'"
Andrea Nuciforo Jr., A Former Democratic State Senator From Pittsfield And Current Congressional Candidate On Brown's Ability To Connect With Voters: "He Talked About The Patriots, The Red Sox, And The Weather." "One of Brown's great advantages is that he has lived in Massachusetts virtually his entire life, and he never lets you forget it. He can be seen at opening day at Fenway Park; he'll buy time on the Red Sox network to bid farewell to retiring players. Andrea Nuciforo Jr., a former Democratic state senator from Pittsfield who is running for Congress, recalls seeing Brown in action at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast in Sturbridge: "He talked about the Patriots, the Red Sox, and the weather." Warren is no carpetbagger-the Oklahoma native moved to Cambridge in 1995-but she lacks the same fluency in the state's cultural preoccupations.
She 'doesn't know that Ben Downing, the state senator from the Berkshires' dad used to be the D.A. and he died of a heart attack shoveling snow,' says DiCara. 'You can get briefed all you want, but it's tough to understand that stuff.'"
