Republican senate candidate Scott Brown was riding high yesterday. His campaign was lifted by some positive poll numbers, and by a visit from a one of his party's brightest lights, NJ Governor Chris Christie. Democrats fought back with some lower-profile visitors, ones from Brown’s former home-state of Massachusetts.
If you believe the rhetoric coming from the camps of Jeanne Shaheen and Scott Brown, you might call this race the Carpetbagger vs. the Obamabot.
The Democrats struck first yesterday, at a Manchester event featuring a group of Bay Staters. Their Message: Scott Brown’s Senate votes hurt Massachusetts workers and small businesses, but helped the fat cats.
Linda Harvey is a Methuen lawyer.
“I say to you, don’t buy what he’s selling. Scott Brown was wrong for Massachusetts, and he’s wrong doe New Hampshire, and that’s the truth.
A few hours later in Salem, New Jersey Governor Christie – a potential presidential candidate and chairman or the Republican Governors association – mocked the democratic charge that opportunism is Brown's guiding principle.
“Now that is an unusual trait to find these days, to find somebody who is actually willing to go to Washington D.C. But this is somebody who’s seen it and he’s actually willing to go back there. That is a fighter everybody, that’s somebody who’s willing to fight for New Hampshire.”
Christie also echoed the Brown campaign’s mantra: that regardless of the issue Jeanne Shaheen blindly follows President Barack Obama. on every issue.
“Unfortunately, Senator Shaheen is part of that partisanship. I mean I can’t find anybody I agree with 99 percent of the time. I don’t even agree with myself 99 percent of the time.”
There is some indication that since last week’s primary, Brown might be gaining ground on Shaheen. A CNN poll released this week puts them in a dead heat. A poll released yesterday by New England College put Shaheen ahead by 10 percentage points.