MATT LAUER, co-host:
Now to a
Senate
battle in
Massachusetts
that's turning personal, and the controversy stems from the incumbent's nude photo spread nearly 30 years ago.
NBC
's
Capitol Hill
correspondent,
Kelly O'Donnell
, has the details on this.
Kelly
, good morning.
KELLY O'DONNELL reporting:
Good morning,
Matt.
Well, not every
Senate
race gets this kind of national attention, but consider that
Scott Brown
has often been named the most popular elected official in
Massachusetts
, according to polls, so it was
only a matter of time
before that centerfold from way back when would become an issue and a punch line in
2012
. Well, it's started; the insults have begun in
Massachusetts
. Rarely do two simple words cause such an uproar.
Senator SCOTT BROWN:
Thank God.
O'DONNELL:
Was that just a snappy comeback, or a personal insult from Republican Senator
Scott Brown
aimed at potential Democratic challenger
Harvard
professor
Elizabeth Warren
?
Professor ELIZABETH WARREN:
Hi
.
O'DONNELL:
It all goes back to this. In
1982
Brown
bared it all for
Cosmopolitan magazine
. He said he needed the money for tuition.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, anchor:
You were a
Cosmo
guy.
Sen. BROWN:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you have it on your
screen saver
?
GUTHRIE:
Yeah -- oh.
Sen. BROWN:
Is it on your
screen saver
?
GUTHRIE:
I'll never confess.
O'DONNELL:
A photo that won't ever go away. This week, in a
Democrats'
debate, that nude centerfold was mentioned in a question to
Warren
.
Unidentified Man #1:
To help pay for his college
law school
education,
Scott Brown
posed for
Cosmo
. How did you pay for your
college education
?
Prof. WARREN:
I kept my clothes on.
O'DONNELL:
Brown
's campaign says
Warren
's answer was offensive and an insult. On a
Boston
radio show Wednesday, the senator jabbed back.
Mr. KEVIN KARLSON:
Have you officially responded to
Elizabeth Warren
's comment about how she didn't take her clothes off?
Sen. BROWN:
Thank God.
O'DONNELL:
Some
Democrats
and women's groups angrily said
Brown
's comment was more suited to a, quote, "frat house" and a dig at
Warren
's appearance. A race getting personal.
Mr. GLEN JOHNSON (The Boston Globe):
I'm not sure that
Elizabeth Warren
's remark was entirely innocent, but there's been a real sort of towel-snapping quality to
Scott Brown
's campaign so far.
O'DONNELL:
Brown
's upset victory last year to succeed
Ted Kennedy
stunned
Democrats
, who want desperately to knock him out in
2012
.
Warren
, who worked for the
Obama
administration as a consumer watchdog, has never run for office before.
O'DONNELL:
Brown
's campaign has labeled
Warren
elitist. He defended his '80s centerfold in that radio interview.
Sen. BROWN:
Let them throw stones. I did what I had to do. And but not for having that opportunity, I never would have been able to pay for school and never would have gone to school.
O'DONNELL:
Thursday,
Warren
brushed it off.
Unidentified Man #2:
You don't care to dive into those waters?
Prof. WARREN:
I'll survive.
O'DONNELL:
She says, "I'll survive." Well, there are six
Democrats
who are trying to win the nomination to challenge
Scott Brown
, and
Elizabeth Warren
's just one of those. Now, there were a couple of women in the
Senate
,
Republicans
, who did back up
Scott Brown
.
Kelly Ayotte
of
New Hampshire
and
Susan Collins
of
Maine
said that no one should make fun of how he had to pay for school because he had a humble
background. Matt:
All right,
Kelly O'Donnell
following the story.
Kelly
,
thank you very much
.
LAUER:
