Boston mayor: 'Nobody' can beat Sen. Scott Brown in 2012

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (D) says no one from the ranks of his party will be able to beat Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) in 2012. 

"There's nobody that can beat him," Menino said of Brown, who must run for a full six-year term in 2012 after his special-election victory to replace the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.). 

Menino made the comments in an interview with the Boston Herald, in which he talked about his recovery from emergency knee surgery and his own political future. The paper notes that Brown phoned Menino after his recent surgery. 

A December poll from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling found Brown ahead of five potential Democratic challengers, including Vicki Kennedy, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Rep. Michael Capuano. 

Some Tea Party activists have made noise about challenging Brown in a primary in 2012, but that's an effort that has yet to pick up any real steam.