Video: During his victory speech Tuesday night, Senator Scott Brown veered off-script and joked that his 2 daughters were "available," creating an avalanche of inquiries for both.
Story includes article, photos and bonus video of then 18 year-old Ayla Brown singing the national anthem with the Boston Pops on July 4, 2006. Extremely, extremely impressive performance from a teenager, in front of tens of thousands, outdoors on the Boston Commons.
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From Politico
Newly elected Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown told the world Tuesday night that his daughters are “available,” and the world apparently listened.
“Scott Brown Family Photos” was the eighth most searched term on Google Trends as of Wednesday morning. And 21-year-old Ayla Brown told POLITICO Wednesday evening that she’s been inundated with inquiries from “strapping young men” looking to take her out for a cup of coffee.
Celebrating his win in the Massachusetts Senate special election race Tuesday night, Brown introduced Ayla and her younger sister on live national TV and declared: “Just in case anyone who's watching throughout the country they're both available.”
“I had no idea he was going to do that. I saw the script and there was definitely no mention of that. It was totally off script,” Brown said in a phone interview squeezed in between classes at Boston College.
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Photo is from a family clambake at the girls' grandmother's home.
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She admitted that she was slightly embarrassed. “But that’s what gives people a chance to see my real dad.”
In the 24 hours since Brown’s victory, people have had a real chance to see Ayla and her sister, too.
Despite setting extra privacy settings on her Facebook account, a leaked photograph circulating on Huffington Post Wednesday showed Brown posing with his two daughters – both wearing sea shell cup bikinis. Brown says the photo was taken at her grandmother’s Hawaiian-themed birthday party at their house in New Hampshire.
“That’s really interesting. I never thought I’d have to go through this learning process,” she said. “I guess I am.”
But much like she did on the campaign trail, Ayla is already coming to the defense of her father in the wake of criticism about his relationship with his daughters.
Conservative talk show host Glenn Beck slammed Brown’s acceptance speech on his show Wednesday – specifically for broadcasting on national television that his two daughters are currently “available.” Beck appeared to compare Brown to Gary Condit, the former Democratic congressman who some suspected was involved in the disappearance of his mistress and congressional intern Chandra Levy, who was found dead.
“I want a chastity belt on this man,” Beck said. “I want his every move watched in Washington. I don't trust this guy. This one could end with a dead intern.”
Beck has questioned Brown before, writing in his Fox News column recently: “I don’t trust Scott Brown yet. Americans don’t know him.”
“That is incredible. It just surprises me that people can be so negative,” Ayla said. “I feel as though all fathers across the nation can relate to having daughters and having these conversations…That’s our dad. There’s nothing creepy about it at all.”
Brown spent significant time on the trail with her father – notably denouncing Democratic contender Martha Coakley’s campaign for airing a negative television ad, calling the spot “completely inaccurate” and “misleading.”
The commercial shows a young woman upset as a voiceover warns that an amendment filed by Brown in the Massachusetts State House could allow some health care facilities to deny emergency contraception to victims of rape.
But Ayla, an aspiring singer who was one of the top 16 contestants on American Idol, says she is ducking out of politics.
“When it comes to political things, I have stayed completely neutral,” she said. “I’m not a politician. I’m a singer and entertainer, so I’m trying to stay away from political questions. … I don’t want to get myself in trouble and I don’t want to get my dad in trouble.”
Ayla performed live Tuesday night at her father’s victory party, bringing down the house and later signed copies of her CD, “Forward.” Meanwhile, her father, she said, stayed late into the night to shake every last hand.
Besides her Idol debut, Ayla is also well known for singing the National Anthem at events around the Boston area and has served as an American Idol columnist for the Boston Herald, where she dished on performances.
There’s no word yet on whether she’ll be moving to Washington with her dad – Brown is trying to finish up her senior year at BC, where she’s majoring in communications and hopes to pursue her music career. The statuesque brunette also plays on the women’s basketball team.
Brown is so confident in his daughter’s game that he challenged President Barack Obama to a game of two-on-two: “When I spoke to the President tonight … I said Mr. President, I know you like basketball. Why don’t you pick your best player and I’ll pick Ayla and we’ll take you two on two,” Brown said during his acceptance speech Tuesday night.
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Continue reading at Politico >>
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Video: Then 18 year-old Ayla Brown sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Boston's Fourth of July celebration accompanied by the Boston Pops -- July 4, 2006
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