Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) appeared today alongside his new junior Senator-elect, Republican Scott Brown. The fifth-term Democratic senator said he could work constructively with Brown on health care and other issues — and appeared to be putting Brown on the spot in that regard, with Brown standing right next to him.
“Look, I think a lot of people objected to the process of the, you know, sort of last-minute deals and the way things were put together,” said Kerry. “I understand that. It wasn’t pretty. That doesn’t mean that everything in the bill is bad. I would think Scott would not want people to be denied health insurance for a preexisting condition. I would think that he would not want somebody who paid their premiums and bought insurance to be told when they get sick that they don’t have insurance anymore. There have to be some basic things here, that we can all agree on. And I certainly look forward to trying to do that with him. “
Brown did not directly respond, but was asked shortly afterward by a reporter whether he felt like he was being courted by Democrats as a swing voter.
“I’ve always had great respect for Sen. Kerry, always. We have worked together on other issues and we’ll work together on issues on the future,” said Brown. “I have a great relationship with the delegation because of my years at the statehouse.
“If I see a bill that is good for my state, I’m gonna vote for it. And that’s my first priority. Other senators represent other states. My initial job is to protect the state of Massachusetts, and I don’t owe anybody anything. In the legislature in Massachusetts, I look at the bills first, determine what — how much they cost, and if they’ll benefit my district and the state, and you know, I’ll take it that way and continue to be the same type of voter I always have been.”
