By Aaron Williams

On Nov. 8, Senator Scott Brown, a Republican from Massachusetts elected to fill the seat left by the late Ted Kennedy, spoke to University of Louisville students as a guest of the McConnell Center.

Fresh off the heels of a major victory for the Republican Party in the mid-term elections, Brown spoke at Bigelow Hall inside the Miller Information Technology Center.

“I’m so hopeful that Washington has got the very important message that was sent a few days ago,” said Brown during his speech, which lasted close to 45 minutes.

Brown took the stage to a standing ovation from the crowd, following his introduction from Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican senator and Senate minority leader.

Many were curious to hear exactly what the Massachusetts Republican had to say. Nick Searcy, a senior electrical and computer engineering major, hoped Brown would speak on the direction of the GOP after the mid-term elections.

“I feel that most of [Brown’s] election was personality politics,” said Searcy, who was looking for more substance from Brown’s speech. He pointed to Brown’s tendency to bring up his pickup truck throughout the campaign as an example of these personality politics.

Instead of sticking to his planned speech, Brown spoke extemporaneously, covering topics such as creating jobs, fixing the economy and taking pressure off of small businesses.

“I don’t think there’s anything more important right now than getting jobs for our people,” said Brown. He believes that taxes on businesses are too high and therefore stifle job growth.

“Our economy is still a grim picture,” said Brown. “More and more spending and bigger and bigger government is absolutely not the answer.”

Sticking to his fiscally conservative mantra, Brown went on to say: “We don’t have a revenue problem. We have a spending problem.”

After Brown concluded his comments, the senator briefly took questions from Kentucky students representing Daviess County High School, Trimble County High School, Assumption High School and Somerset High School.

Brown exited Bigelow Hall to another standing ovation. However, some audience members were not completely satisfied with the speech.

“Tax certainty and the 1099 form were the only thing he talked about for jobs,” said Searcy. “I’m kind of disappointed.”