Sen. Warner: Scott Brown has helped ease partisan rancor since his arrival

A centrist Democratic senator on Thursday credited Republican Sen. Scott Brown (Mass.) for helping to ease partisanship in the Senate. 

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) suggested that Brown has been a good negotiating partner for Democrats on some big-ticket legislative items. 

”It’s been helped a little bit by Scott Brown, I know it’s heresy to say,” he said in an interview on WHRV-FM radio. 

Brown has been heavily courted by Democrats to vote for the financial regulatory reform conference report that awaits final approval from the Senate. As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Warner helped draft key portions of the bill, enlisting the help of GOP Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.)

Warner described himself as a “bipartisan centrist radical” and praised Brown for working across the aisle, saying that it has resulted in a “little less pressure” for Democrats in getting 60 votes for some legislation. 

Before the July 4 recess, Democrats went back to conference to fix portions of the bill, in part to secure Brown’s vote. Sixty senators need to vote to end debate on the bill and move to a final vote. Senate Democrats only have 58 members with the absence of the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and need GOP support to pass the bill.

Brown was elected in part because of his opposition to the Democrats’ healthcare reform legislation. But he voted for the Senate’s version of the Wall Street bill in May, helping Democrats break a GOP filibuster. 

The former Virginia governor, however, said there are still problems with partisanship in the Senate, such as on energy legislation and confirming Obama administration nominees.

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