Warren vs. Brown

When Scott Brown shocked the political world in 2009 by capturing the seat held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), the conventional wisdom was that healthcare reform was dead and the Republican senator would not hold his seat for long.

A few months later, President Obama signed healthcare reform into law. 

{mosads}Soon after Brown was sworn in, there were whispers that he had a better shot to win the GOP presidential nomination in 2012 than win another term in the blue state. But more than a year later, the Republican senator’s reelection prospects in the Senate are far better than the pundits predicted.

Brown quickly ruled out a White House bid and focused on raising money. He now has more than $8.3 million in cash on hand, scaring off some big-name Democrats from jumping into the race.

With control of the upper chamber up for grabs, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently approached Elizabeth Warren to gauge her interest in seeking Brown’s seat, according to a report in The New York Times. 

Warren, who came up with the idea to create the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), is apparently intrigued.

Without a doubt, Warren would immediately become the front-runner to win the Democratic primary. She is beloved by the left, and would have little trouble raising the funds needed to go toe-to-toe with Brown.

Lacking the Senate votes to get Warren confirmed as the first head of the consumer agency, President Obama tapped Warren to be a presidential assistant. In that role, she has advised the Treasury Department on setting up the CFPB. 

There has been speculation that Obama might use a congressional recess to appoint Warren to run the CFPB, a move that would infuriate Republicans who believe she is biased against the financial sector.

The tension between the GOP and Warren was evident when she testified during a House Oversight hearing on Tuesday. Republicans and Warren bickered over how long she was scheduled to appear before the House panel, but that dispute is attributable to underlying causes.

The CFPB was included in last year’s Dodd-Frank law, which attracted partisan fireworks throughout the last Congress. Some Republicans have called for the entire Wall Street reform overhaul to be repealed, while others want to target the CFPB for eradication.

It is not surprising that Reid wants Warren to run against Brown. Senate Democrats in 2012 are defending 23 seats while the GOP is defending only 10. If Democrats can’t defeat Brown, the chances of retaining their majority would seem slim indeed.

Warren vs. Brown would be one of the biggest races of next year.