Mass. Democrats target Brown on lack of town halls

Brown has also held a series of public and private book signings for his autobiography, “Against All Odds.’’

A spokeswoman for the senator did not dispute the contention that he has not held a town hall meeting but said he routinely interacts with the public. Brown has held 220 events across Massachusetts since taking office.

“Senator Brown has met and will continue to meet with constituents around the state,’’ Brown Communications director Marcie Kinzel said Friday. “Right now, his priority is jobs. Today’s bad employment report is a reminder that we need to focus on progrowth policies that will put Americans back to work.’’

Late Friday, Brown’s Senate staff sent out an email highlighting his “busy couple of weeks,’’ including events from tornado-damage inspections in Springfield to a St. Peter’s Fiesta procession in Gloucester. It also included a list of his recent legislative activity, but no rebuttal of the specific town hall criticism.

Since taking office, Brown has been selective in his interaction with the public and media, favoring speeches over question-and-answer sessions, ducking out of meeting halls before reporters can reach him, and using videos, press releases, and op-ed columns to disseminate his views in a noninteractive fashion.

The strategy has allowed Brown to control his message and minimize deviations as he seeks reelection to his first full, six-year Senate term in November 2012.

The Globe reported in late March that no member of the state’s congressional delegation had held a town hall meeting during the most recent recess, despite public debates about a US bombing campaign in Libya, the federal budget deficit, and the threat of a government shutdown.

Brown’s senior Senate colleague, Democrat John Kerry, protested that description, noting that he had held two town hall meetings in February and early March. Kerry has subsequently held three more.