Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) drew first blood against the Democrats when he won the remainder of Ted Kennedy’s term at the beginning of this year. In 2012, Democrats are planning to return the favor. The Hill reports:

Democrats are seeking to make amends in Massachusetts after Scott Brown’s (R) stunning election to the Senate last January.

Party members and labor groups in the state said that beating Brown will likely be their top priority in 2012, presenting them an opportunity to reclaim the late Sen. Edward Kennedy’s (D) longtime seat.

Brown also represents one of the few pickup opportunities for Democrats, who’ll be defending 23 Senate seats in the coming election.

This race is also going to be an interesting test of the Democrats’ ability to split the two groups that helped elect Republicans in November: independents and Tea Party conservatives. Brown appealed to both groups in the Massachusetts special election and has sinced irritated many conservatives with his positions on the Wall Street reform bill, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the jobs bill, and to a lesser extent the tax cut deal. Moreover, we saw in November that Massachusetts Democrats can beat even competitive Republican candidates when they’re not taken by surprise.