Scott Brown: David Koch Support Would Be Useful In 2012 (VIDEO)
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Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) has a battle ahead of him to retain his Senate seat in 2012. After taking over the office of the late progressive hero Ted Kennedy in a 2010 Bay State special election, Brown now appears to be attempting to tap into an arsenal of conservative cash by mingling with billionaire donor David Koch -- and lobbying him for contributions.
In a video captured by ThinkProgress, Brown is seen speaking with oil magnate and Tea Party benefactor David Koch at the recent dedication of MIT's David H. Koch Integrative Cancer Institute.
"Your support during the election, it meant a ton. It made a difference and I can certainly use it again," Brown can be heard telling Koch.
While ThinkProgress points out that Koch pumped large sums of money into the GOP's campaign arms as well as to Brown's campaign itself, the senator also owed much of his success to the growth of Tea Party activism in the largely blue state. The Koch's have since become known for their integral role in bankrolling the Tea Party movement through groups such as Americans for Prosperity.
Ironically, however, Brown has since managed to upset much of the conservative constituency that helped propel him to unlikely victory last January. While he's publicly disavowed any loyalty to the Tea Party mantle, Brown has also cast a number of votes that have caused some of his former conservative backers to promise new efforts to oust him in 2012.
WATCH via ThinkProgress:
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First Posted: 03/07/11 04:36 PM ET Updated: 05/25/11 07:35 PM ET