Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R) will not support Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination when it's brought up for a vote this afternoon, he announced in a press release. According to reports, at least 60 senators have already committed to supporting her nomination, enough to end debate and bring her confirmation up for a vote -- so Brown's vote won't be needed.

"She has an impressive resume, and in my private meeting with her I found her to be brilliant, as you might expect from a former dean of Harvard Law School. However, I cannot vote to confirm Elena Kagan," said Brown, who along with Sen. John Kerry formally introduced Kagan to the Senate Judiciary Committee. "The reason is simple. I believe nominees to the Supreme Court should have previously served on the bench."

Without bench experience, Brown said, he would prefer someone with "many years of practical courtroom experience to compensate for the absence of prior judicial experience. In Elena Kagan's case, she is missing both."

According to C-SPAN, five Republicans plan to support Kagan: Susan Collins (ME), Lindsey Graham (SC), Judd Gregg (NH), Richard Lugar (IN) and Olympia Snowe (ME). And just one Democrat, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, will oppose her.

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