Mass Mayhem

Normally Massachusetts politics would hardly capture my attention. But in the race to fill deceased Senator Edward Kennedy’s seat, the battle between state Attorney General Martha Coakley (Democrat) and state Senator Scott Brown (Republican) has gripped my attention.

Kathleen Parker, a right-of-center columnist whom I greatly enjoy, introduced me to Brown in her column, syndicated in Wednesday, January 13’s Buffalo News. She declared him a rising star of the Republican party in what is traditionally a very blue state. Other Republicans have pointed to close poll data and believe Brown is gaining momentum.

So why does this matter to me? Because Brown’s seating in the Senate Chambers would give the Republicans a 59-41 advantage—key to filibuster big Democratic priority legislation such as—oh say—health care reform. In this increasingly messy race, Brown was asked by debat moderator, CNN political analyst David Gergen if he would take over Kennedy’s seat and vote against health care reform (a subject near-and-dear to the late senator's heart). Brown (who is opposed to the bill as it stands) replied, “With all due respect, it’s not the Kennedy seat. And it’s not the Democrats’ seat. It’s the people’s seat.”

Brown’s pointed words have become a talking point of praise for the right-wing bloggers, journalists, and Fox-News types. You’ve gotta admire a guy with a quick wit and slick tongue to come up with a fast answer like that.

Massachusetts already has a state-run health care system, and it's one that has oft been refered to as a model for Obama's desired national health care reforms.  Are the people of Massachusetts really happy with their government-mandated health care?  I can't answer that...yet.  However, the candidate Bay Staters choose to represent them in congress may well reflect their views on what kind of health care reforms need to be implicated at the national level. 

Is this going to get messy?  It already is.  Democrats are trying to block the seating of any senator until after a key health care vote.  Surely there'll be recounts and absentee ballots, and God only knows what else.  There's already a fly in the ointment:  his name?  Joseph  Kennedy.  Running as an independent, his name is liable to confuse the less informed among Massachusetts voters.  He is, in fact, not related to the storied Kennedy family. 

From the very colonization of America, Massachusetts has long been a place that has shaped the face of the country.  How Bay State citizens vote in this special election may very well have nation-wide ramifications for all Americans.  I'll be following this one closely...