Sen. Scott Brown: I'm Not in the Tea Party

This isn't surprising, but I think Brown is making a tactical error.  I'll explain after this:

The surprise victory of Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts was thought of at the time as one of the Tea Party’s first big victories. But as he prepares for a tough reelection fight in one of the country’s bluest states, Brown tells USA Today that he is not a Tea Partier.

“No, I am a Republican from Massachusetts,” Brown told the paper when asked if he was a member of the Tea Party. He also referred to himself as a “Scott Brown Republican” concerned primarily with fiscal issues.

“I’m somebody who keeps an open mind on all the other issues,” Brown said before adding: “I’m not a social crusader.”

The paper notes that, in his new book, Brown refers to the Tea Party just once. “I think a lot of different entities played big roles,” he said when asked about the Tea Party’s contribution to his victory. “There’s no one particular group that did more than the others.”

Brown’s poll numbers in Massachusetts are solid. A recent survey conducted by Public Policy Polling showed that his approval rating is 53 percent, against only 29 percent disapproving of the Senator.

It's no surprise that Brown doesn't follow the Tea Party line on a number of issues, and that's okay. We're lucky to get any kind of Republican out of Massachusetts.

However, when he seems to dismiss their influence in helping his election he makes a tactical error in that he essentially tells the Tea Party he's going to go it on his own. The Tea Party did a lot to get him elected, and could do a lot to help his re-election even if he doesn't embrace all their issues. But by minimizing their contribution to his success the Tea Party will be content to save their money for other races.