It looks as if the people of Massachusetts have spoken. A Wall Street Journal article cites AP data stating Brown trumped Coakley 52% to 47% of the vote for the late Senator Edward Kennedy’s seat. I first heard details from Tom Bauerle this morning on WBEN (930 AM—Buffalo). He called it a political “earthquake.” If I may interject, that’s a real kitschy choice of words given the current international crisis on the isle of Hispaniola.
Back on track here…in my previous post on this topic I mentioned Massachusetts health reform. The Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector has often been cited as a model for President Obama’s vision to overhaul the national healthcare system. I said let the Bay Staters, who already live under government-mandated healthcare, decide how it’s working. Are they happy with their coverage? Their taxes? Their co-pays and insurance bills?
Perhaps folks from the Berkshires to Boston and beyond had other pressing issues. In the above-referenced WSJ article, some citizens expressed dissatisfaction with the economy and lack of job growth. Some are just hungry for positive change; change that the current Democratic administration wasn’t bringing about. Whether healthcare was a huge deciding factor remains to be seen, but bluer-than-blue Massachusetts demonstrated a healthy democratic-society upset.
Healthcare reforms at the national level are now jeopardized. It will be interesting to see what comes of this, and what dirty tricks politicians play to discredit the Brown victory.
As I said before, Massachusetts runs deep in the fabric that has shaped this nation. She may be small in size, but Massachusetts once again is largely shaping what the United States may look like in years to come.
Showing posts with label Scott Brown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scott Brown. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
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...
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...
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