Dems lose Kennedy Senate seat after 50 years

[joeblow]

Dems lose Kennedy Senate seat after 50 years
Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:29:11 GMT

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=1 ... id=3510203



Scott Brown

Republican Scott Brown has defied all odds to claim victory in the Massachusetts special election to fill the US Senate seat left vacant by Edward Kennedy's death.

Scott, 50, defeated Democrat Martha Coakley Tuesday, in a race that had been in the national focus.

As early results gave Brown a healthy lead, Coakley conceded defeat, admitting that she was "heartbroken at the result."

This election was so important that US President Barack Obama took time out from his busy schedule to campaign for Coakley.

But Obama's political cocktails backfired, giving Brown the seat held by the late Democratic icon Ted Kennedy for nearly half a century.

The stunning victory is considered a major defeat for the ruling party and President Obama.

This means that the Democrats' dominance on Capitol Hill with a filibuster-proof 60-seat super majority has come to an end; the Republicans now have the power to bank Obama's agenda.

This potentially threatens the much-anticipated healthcare reforms of President Obama, which are the most important domestic policy objective of his first year as president.

Only hours after the political earthquake in Washington, the Democrats began planning for a less controversial House version of health care, which will probably not require 60 Democrat votes, Press TV's Mike Kellerman said.

The US House and Senate have already approved healthcare bills. The two separate bills now have to be reconciled and voted on again in Congress.

Following his Republican Party's policies, Brown strongly opposed Obama's healthcare plans in his victory speech, saying they would raise taxes, destroy jobs and increase debt.

Analysts believe that the unusual Massachusetts vote has sent the Democrats and Obama a loud and clear message that will probably change the direction of the administration.

"This was an important judgment, not just on a Senate seat, not just on a particular candidacy but on the overall circumstances of the country and the Democratic Party's agenda," Bill Galston from Brookings Institution told Press TV.

The win in a Democratic stronghold could also mean that the mood of the public has turned against the Obama administration, and that the Democrats will probably loose more seats in Congress when congressional elections are held next November.

FTP/HGL/FF/JG/DT

[stoker]

He is another bought jew symp. Good thing is that gridlock in the congress is back. Sad to say, nothing getting done is better than anything getting done.(health care, cap and trade, and card check) The system is broke and people are starting to get a clue. Now they need to figure out why and who makes it broken.

[scorpio]

The system is broke and people are starting to get a clue. Now they need to figure out why and who makes it broken.

Yep...good post.
well said.