US Representative Patrick Kennedy's camp wasn't commenting to reporters following GOP rival John Loughlin's campaign announcement yesterday. But that hasn't stopped Kennedy from firing a shot of his own against one of Loughlin's role models, newly minted Senator Scott Brown. As Politico reports:

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) castigated Brown for having pushed to be sworn in ahead of schedule to permanently fill the Senate seat left vacant by the congressman's father's death in August.

"Brown's whole candidacy was shown to be a joke today when he was sworn in early in order to cast his first vote as an objection to Obama's appointment to the NLRB," Kennedy said Thursday.

Kennedy was referencing some Democrats' thoughts that Brown tried to bump up his swearing-in in order to give Republicans 41 votes, enough to filibuster the nomination of Craig Becker, a controversial nominee to join the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

During a taping today of WPRI/WNAC-TV's Newsmakers, Providence Mayor David Cicilline touted Kennedy and his credentials. But WPRI pollster Joseph Fleming has found some warning signs for Kennedy. Add to that:

-- Broad anti-incumbent sentiment fueled by bad economic times that are unlikely to end before November;

-- Kennedy's lengthy tenure (15 years) in Congress;

-- Kennedy's soft support among independents, the largest voting bloc in Rhode Island.

In short: this shows the potential of being a competitive race.