Scott Brown, a celebrity among Republicans, made his rounds around Capitol Hill this morning, glad handing his soon-to-be colleagues in the Senate as a herd of journalists followed him.
Asked his reaction to Brown’s victory in Tuesday’s special election in Massachusetts for the seat long served by Sen. Ted Kennedy, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry said he “saw it coming.”
“I hate to say this to my fellow Democrats, but I wasn’t shocked,” Kerry said, standing next to Brown.
Kerry, who said he hoped Brown would be seated as “expeditiously” as possible, responded to reporters requests about his campaigning against Brown.
“I don’t think anything I said was particularly harsh. Campaigns in Massachusetts are tough,” Kerry said.
Brown told reporters that “it’s good to be the junior senator-elect of Massachusetts.”
Brown made his first trip to Washington today since his victory on Tuesday, where he bested Democrat Martha Coakley. More than two dozen reporters and photographers awaited Brown’s arrival outside Sen. John McCain’s office, where Brown began his courtesy tour. After their meeting, McCain escorted Brown down the hallway of the Russell Senate building to Kerry’s office.
In the office of Massachusetts Sen. Paul Kirk — appointed to temporarily fill the seat left empty with Sen. Ted Kennedy’s death — Brown met with Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Kennedy’s son. Brown turned to the press after their meeting to hold up a copy of Ted Kennedy’s book, presumably given to him by Patrick Kennedy.
Brown also met with the Republican minority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell.