Kerry likens Brown supporters to controversial '08 Palin crowds

The atmosphere at campaign rallies for Massachusetts's GOP Senate candidate is reminiscent of some of the controversial rallies held by vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin (R) in 2008, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said Monday.

Kerry likened supporters for Scott Brown, the Republican in tomorrow's special election to fill the last Sen. Edward Kennedy's (D) seat, to Republicans who shouted, "Kill him!" about Barack Obama during a Palin rally during the 2008 presidential campaign.

"I'm no stranger to hard fought campaigns, but what we’ve seen in the past few days is way over the line and reminiscent of the dangerous atmosphere of Sarah Palin's 2008 campaign rallies," Kerry said Monday. "This is not how democracy works in Massachusetts."

Kerry was making reference to signs on behalf of the Democratic candidate in the race, state Attorney General Martha Coakley, having been found vandalized, as well as an outburst by one Brown supporter on which Democrats have seized.

Democrats have alleged that Brown acknowledged and condoned a supporter who said, "Shove a curling iron up her butt!" about Coakley. Brown has denied having heard the remark, and said such sentiments are inappropriate.

Democrats in the race have made a serious push to associate Brown with the remark, reflecting their all-out effort to hold onto the Senate seat in usually-Democratic Massachusetts, where a GOP win would mean Republicans would have enough votes to sustain a filibuster in the Senate.

Kerry suggested that the intense Brown supporters that have flowed into the Bay State have no place in Massachusetts politics.

"Scott Brown needs to speak up and get his out of state tea party supporters under control," Kerry said. "In Massachusetts, we fight hard and win elections on the issues and on our differences, not with bullying and threats."

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