Mass. senator-elect Scott Brown visits Harry Reid

By Lisa Mascaro

Published Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 | 9:09 a.m.

Updated Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 | 11:15 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Sen.-elect Scott Brown sat side-by-side with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today -- the Republican from Masschusetts who halted Reid's 60-seat majority after a stunning victory this week that upended Washington politics.

The two spoke for a few minutes in Reid's office off the Senate floor mostly about their families and the athletic skills of their kids -- "his son and my daughter," Brown said.

But no discussion of politics, policy or Brown's position as the 41st senator that gives Republicans the ability to block health care and other bills.

With Reid's 59-seat majority, Democrats are one vote shy of the 60 needed to overcome Republican opposition in a filibuster.

Brown is making the rounds today in Washington and met earlier with Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, who said he was heartened to see Brown signing autographs as the 41st senator.

"I will always think of him as '41,'" McConnell said.

Brown also met with Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who had supported his candidacy.

It's unclear if Brown will bump into Nevada Republican senatorial hopeful Danny Tarkanian, the former UNLV basketball star, who is also in town today working to secure support in his primary bid for Reid's seat.

But Tarkanian arrives as Washington Republicans have made it clear they are looking past the current field of potential Reid opponents and nudging Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki to run.

Krolicki is seriously considering jumping into the campaign.

Earlier potential Republican candidates, Republican Rep. Dean Heller and former Republican Rep. Jon Porter, are not in renewed talks with the Republican campaign committee, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the committee chairman, told the Sun this week.

But among those in conversation with Krolicki about a possible run: McCain.

Reid joked with reporters that he had read a news report today saying Brown would make his job easier.

"I hope that's the case," Reid said, prompting laughter from Brown.

Reid and Brown had spoken a day earlier when the majority leader invited Brown to visit while in Washington.

"He's kind of in a hurry down here because he and I spent a little bit of time talking about the prowess of our athletic children. He has a daughter that plays basketball at Boston College and I told him about my boy who was the college athlete," Reid said. "So we had a pleasant visit."

Brown thanked Reid for the invitation to meet.

"He was very gracious in reaching out and making a point to call me after I woke up and, you know, I wanted to just say publicly that I appreciate the across-the-aisle gesture and I hope that we can work to just solve the problems of our great country," Brown said.

"Well, we're going to have an interesting time this year," Reid said. "You're going to enter the Senate at a time when the country is in deep trouble -- as you know, that was a lot of what your campaign was about -- and I look forward to working with you."

Earlier in the day, Brown acknowledged he is "sure there will be tough times ahead."