Health law, contraception coverage central themes in Mass. Senate race

Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., and his challenger, Elizabeth Warren are tussling on these issues in the midst of what is emerging as a high-profile campaign.

Boston Globe: Democratic Jitters In Massachusetts Senate Race
Indeed, Brown has wandered off the GOP reservation enough to claim some independence, but he has also toed a strong partisan line on a number of key issues: opposing President Obama's health care bill, cosponsoring a proposal to allow employers to deny certain health care coverage on moral grounds, and opposing any tax increases, even on the wealthy. But, if several of the recent polls are correct, Brown may have benefited from his positions on social issues in the last few weeks, such as the one over whether Catholic institutions should be forced to provide contraception in their health care plans for workers (Phillips, 3/6).

WBUR: Scott Brown Finds The Perfect Middle
[Sen. Scott] Brown and [Elizabeth] Warren recently tussled over one wedge issue: whether employers should have the right to withhold health coverage for certain services, such as contraception, if they object for religious or moral reasons. But Brown is also raising other issues. At the veterans meeting, he talked about his opposition to Pentagon plans to raise premiums for retirees enrolled in Tricare, the health care program for service members (Thys, 3/6).