slides: Endorsements Piling Up for Brown and Warren

Chris Christie

Early March saw an endorsement from Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie (R).

In a statement released by the Brown campaign, Christie said, “Scott Brown and I share a commitment to taking on today’s most difficult challenges by reforming government, balancing budgets and making tough choices. He is battling to bring the same kind of fiscal discipline to Washington that I am fighting for in New Jersey. Scott cuts through the baloney and calls the issues like he sees them, and I am proud to endorse his campaign.”

Senator Brown said he appreciated Christie’s leadership on fiscal issues. “Governor Christie is one of the nation’s leading champions of balanced budgets and government reform. I believe we need that same kind of fiscal discipline in Washington, which is why I am fighting to pass a balanced budget amendment.”

The Mass. Democratic Party took this opportunity to send an open letter to Brown, asking him to take a stand on marriage equality. Christie also endorsed Mitt Romney.

Michael Bloomberg

New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg has also thrown his support behind Scott Brown, saying that his decision came down to gun control laws.

When Bloomberg announced he would host the private endorsement party, challenger, Elizabeth Warren said, “He’s there, and I’m here in Worcester working with the credit unions. I think it speaks for itself.”

Marco Rubio

Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been at the center of some conversation surrounding Romney’s pick for Vice President, but while that remains in the air, he has secured a stance behind Brown.

“Scott and I don't agree on everything, but I know Scott is a dedicated husband, loving father, and principled public servant,” Rubio wrote in a statement from his Reclaim America PAC.

Rubio called Brown’s competition an “ultra-liberal backed by extreme big-government special interests,” and “an extreme liberal who was nominated by Harry Reid to oversee the failed TARP program.”

According to an invitation on Scott Brown’s website, the endorsement and fundraising event took place on the lucky night of Friday the 13^th. To attend cost guests a $5,000 contribution, and to host, $25,000 had to be given or raised.

Paul Walsh

Bristol County’s former District Attorney (D) Paul Walsh has been the most recent endorsement from across the aisle for Brown, but this is not the first time Walsh has rooted for the other team.

As DA, Walsh endorsed William Weld in 1996, and in 1998, he backed Paul Cellucci in his race to become Mass. Governor against Democrat Scott Harshbarger.

Walsh marked the Senator's 10th Dem. endorsement this election cycle.

Who Brown Admires

Brown hasn’t been shy to return the bipartisan encouragement. When asked recently which of his colleagues he admired, he listed off  Democrats Tom Carper (D-DE), Mark Warner (D-VI), the Udall cousins, Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar, and Chris Coons (D-DE), among others.

Of the Republicans, he listed Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Patrick Toomey (R-Penn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), adding that John Thune (R-SD) “is like a brother to me.”

Cher

Singer and actress, Cher, Tweeted about her support for Elizabeth Warren, calling the candidate “an amazingly intelligent woman who cares so deeply [for] her future constituents,” and admired her “energy of a teenager.”

This unabashed support drew a mocking press release from the Brown campaign, titled, “Elizabeth Warren and Cher: A Twitter Love Affair.”

“Given their shared left-wing views and Hollywood elitist attitudes, it’s not surprising that Cher has fallen head over heels with Professor Warren,” said Alleigh Marre, who was at the time a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Republican Party. “Unfortunately for her campaign, Elizabeth Warren is being received far less enthusiastically by the voters of Massachusetts.”

Russ Feingold

In September of last year Russ Feingold’s PAC Progressives United made its first-ever endorsement when they decided to pull for Warren.

The former Wisconsin Senator and progressive said in an email to his supporters, “I've known Elizabeth ... for years and she's exactly the type of person who should be running for office.”

Progressives United describes its mission, “To stand up to the exploding corporate influence in our political system by organizing and amplifying the voices of those who believe that corporations have too much power, and by promoting solutions that ensure individual rights and democratic principles are upheld to the highest standards, even in the face of the lawless Citizens United Supreme Court decision.”

Setti Warren

Mayor of Newton, Setti Warren, was running against Elizabeth before he endorsed the Democratic candidate nearly a month later. He said he believed she is the strongest candidate to go against Brown.

Elizabeth said of Setti in a statement, “I have the deepest respect for Setti Warren for his service to Newton, to our state and to our country. His thoughtful analysis of the challenges facing Massachusetts’ families shows both compassion and courage.”

Setti is the first popularly-elected African American Mayor in Massachusetts.

Policy Groups

Besides the support from fellow politicians, Warren has also received endorsements from policy groups that fight for environmental issues, human rights, and unions, including Planned Parenthood, Mass AFL-CIO, Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, Human Rights Campaign

Planned Parenthood has been at the cornerstone of the debate on rights to access to female contraceptives.

Dianne Luby, president of the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund in Massachusetts said in a statement, “Now more than ever, Massachusetts voters want and deserve to be represented in Congress by someone who puts smart policies ahead of political ideologies Elizabeth Warren is that candidate.”

The group said that Warren will be a strong advocate in Congress to defend health care access under the Affordable Care Act.

ALF-CIO, the state’s largest labor organization also backs the candidate, citing her record for fighting for working class families.

Who Warren Armires

When asked Monday which politicians she supported across the aisle, Warren cited Teddy Roosevelt, US President from 1901 to 1909.

“My favorite is probably Teddy Roosevelt. I’m a huge Teddy Roosevelt fan,” she said. “He was a guy who saw something and got out and fought against the big powerful trusts and was the trust busters and was very much a Republican.”

When asked for an example of any that are currently running, Warren said she would stick with that answer.