For the second time this week, Brown landed an endorsement from a business-related organization in his Senate bid against Democrat Elizabeth Warren.
U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., pays for bottles of Gatorade at a 7-Eleven store in Quincy in late July, where he campaigned with store owner Dennis Lane. (Staff Photo by Shira Schoenberg)More politics news
Elizabeth Warren, Richard Neal, Michael Knapik among the many politicians to attend Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe's annual clambake in Springfield
Politicians and political hopefuls from Across Massachusetts mingled with voters, colleagues and even rivals at the 35 annual clambake. Check out the photo gallery from the event here.Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown was endorsed by the second commerce-related organization in a week on Thursday as the National Federation of Independent Business gave him a nod of support in his effort to defeat Democrat Elizabeth Warren and win a full six-year Senate term.
Brown, who won his seat in a 2010 special election following the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy, was also endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday at an event in Roxbury.
"We are very proud to offer our endorsement of U.S. Senator Scott Brown," said Diane Giblin, a member of the NFIB/MA Leadership Council, in a statement. "Scott Brown has been an exceptional advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs. He understands the challenges we face and we can always count on him to listen to our concerns and not demonize or belittle our achievements. In this bad economy, we need friends of job creators in Washington D.C., and that person is Scott Brown."
Among the viewpoints the NFIB and Brown share is their opposition to the federal health care law. The NFIB was the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court case challenging the president's Affordable Care Act and more recently, the group took a vocal stand against legally-mandated paid sick time in Massachusetts.
When Brown was endorsed by the chamber, Rob Engstrom, the group's political director, said “No other candidate in 2012 represents a greater threat to free enterprise than Professor Warren."
When asked for her reaction, Warren laughed and shrugged off the characterization while reiterating her campaign's promise to be a champion for the middle class.
After Brown delivered a speech on taxes Tuesday, the two candidates have been battling over tax policy throughout the week, echoing the debate taking place in the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
While Brown has charged that Warren wants to raise taxes that will hurt small businesses, Warren has argued that Brown, Romney and the former Mass. governor's running mate Congressman Paul Ryan, are aiming to continue tax breaks for the wealthiest individuals and corporations while doing nothing for the middle class.
Brown, in accepting the NFIB's endorsement on Thursday, reiterated previously delivered attacks on Warren, saying she wants to raise taxes that will harm small businesses.
"This is exactly the wrong approach. I will continue to work for Massachusetts job creators and fostering an environment where they can flourish and grow," Brown said in a statement. "I'm extremely grateful to the NFIB for their endorsement."
According to his campaign, the senator will officially launch the Small Business Owners for Brown Coalition during an event on Friday morning at C.N. Wood Co. Inc. in Woburn. Prior to the announcement, the coalition's Facebook page already had more than 430 members.
Later in the day Brown will visit Essential Salon Products in Westborough before heading to the family-owned Polar Beverages Inc. in Auburn where he will lead a roundtable discussion with business people from the greater Worcester area.