GOP's Brown wins Mass. Senate seat in epic upset

[Chris]

BOSTON – In an epic upset in liberal Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown rode a wave of voter anger to defeat Democrat Martha Coakley in a U.S. Senate election Tuesday that left President Barack Obama's health care overhaul in doubt and marred the end of his first year in office.

The loss by the once-favored Coakley for the seat that the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy held for nearly half a century signaled big political problems for the president's party this fall when House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates are on the ballot nationwide.

More immediately, Brown will become the 41st Republican in the 100-member Senate, which could allow the GOP to block the president's health care legislation and the rest of Obama's agenda. Democrats needed Coakley to win for a 60th vote to thwart Republican filibusters.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_massachusetts_senate

[Mustang]

Congrats.  The pundits and people will run with this. Surprising upset.
Adds fuel and momentum to the NJ + VA victories.

[RightCoast]

Woot!

[Mr Mannn]

Let the spin begin.

[5412]

Let the spin begin.

Hi,

I understood Coakley basically said it was the Obama agenda that did her in.  If she said that, I agree with her.  When I heard BO was headed to campaign for her, I cheered because, just like the olympics, I knew he would hurt her more than help.  The focus group on Fox where they had all registered democrats confirmed that, they do not want the health care bill, and they do not like the way Obama is going about his business.

regards,
5412

[bkg]

Hi,

I understood Coakley basically said it was the Obama agenda that did her in.  If she said that, I agree with her.  When I heard BO was headed to campaign for her, I cheered because, just like the olympics, I knew he would hurt her more than help.  The focus group on Fox where they had all registered democrats confirmed that, they do not want the health care bill, and they do not like the way Obama is going about his business.

regards,
5412

Torn - I agree his agenda is really starting to turn people off.
But from what I understand of her, she was quite the tard... and she's blaming someone else?

could go either way?

[NHSparky]

As someone a bit closer (although not as close as lurker or miskie) I would opine that it was a combination of the two.

[GOP Congress]

Her liberal agenda, coupled with the fact that most Americans are CONSERVATIVE in their own lives, as well as their own family lives, is what did her in. This is something that will need to be taken care of in the various primaries coming up.

Jonah

[jinxmchue]

Just popping in at this unprecedented, historic moment to say SUCK IT, DEMS!!!  Brown started with a truck and it's going to end later this year with a Republican steamroller.

[Splashdown]

Dear President Obama,

Happy one-year anniversary!

Hope you like your present.

Love,

Massachusetts.

[jinxmchue]

Dear President Obama,

Happy one-year anniversary!

Hope you like your present.

Love,

Massachusetts.

 

[Aaron Burr]

Super permanent sticky bump for splashdown!

Stomach...aches...from...laughter!!!!111

[Chris]

Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, head of the House Democrats' campaign effort, said Coakley's loss won't deter his colleagues from continuing to blame the previous administration.

[Oceander]

The Democrats' Last Stand:

[GOP Congress]

This election may have been a surprised to the democrats and the media, but it certainly was no surprise to the conservative/libertarian movement.

[ReardenSteel]

 

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUJsYLiizvU[/youtube]

[Karin]

Greetings to my fellow CCers on this great day!  Some of the spin has been laughable.  Steny Hoyer said that voters were angry and expressing dissatisfaction with the GOP obstructionism.     The, the AFL-CIO guy echoed him.  This was reported on The Hill website, with hilarious comments following. 

My deepest thanks to the people of Mass. 

[Eupher]

Like everybody else on CC, I'm heartened by Brown's win and, most notably, by the slap in Obama's face that is a result.

Regarding healthcare, however, I'm a little concerned by this statement from Brown's web site:

Health Care
I believe that all Americans deserve health care coverage, but I am opposed to the health care legislation that is under consideration in Congress and will vote against it. It will raise taxes, increase government spending and lower the quality of care, especially for elders on Medicare. I support strengthening the existing private market system with policies that will drive down costs and make it easier for people to purchase affordable insurance. In Massachusetts, I support the 2006 healthcare law that was successful in expanding coverage, but I also recognize that the state must now turn its attention to controlling costs.

Link

One of the hallmarks of the federal POS Obamacare legislation was, so I've read, that it was very much patterned after the Massachusetts program. Yeah, I know the feds piled on a lot more pork and a lot of garbage that rendered the half-assed effort the "High Exalted Turd Status", but it sounds to me like Brown doesn't have a fundamental problem with mandatory health care provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Brown has been pretty clear about his intention to torpedo Obamacare, but this business about the Masshole program bugs me a little bit.

Is Brown trying to play both ends against the middle?   

[5412]

Like everybody else on CC, I'm heartened by Brown's win and, most notably, by the slap in Obama's face that is a result.

Regarding healthcare, however, I'm a little concerned by this statement from Brown's web site:

Link

One of the hallmarks of the federal POS Obamacare legislation was, so I've read, that it was very much patterned after the Massachusetts program. Yeah, I know the feds piled on a lot more pork and a lot of garbage that rendered the half-assed effort the "High Exalted Turd Status", but it sounds to me like Brown doesn't have a fundamental problem with mandatory health care provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Brown has been pretty clear about his intention to torpedo Obamacare, but this business about the Masshole program bugs me a little bit.

Is Brown trying to play both ends against the middle?   

Hi,

Likely he was caught in a box.  MA health care was passed by a Republican governor and likely he voted for it.

regards,
5412

[NHSparky]

Before we get to crazy, remember one small thing, kids:

As inept and incompetent as Coakley was, she STILL got 47 percent of the vote.

[Eupher]

Before we get to crazy, remember one small thing, kids:

As inept and incompetent as Coakley was, she STILL got 47 percent of the vote.

I don't think anybody has lost sight of the fact that Masshole is still a blue state. This election simply allows the few reds who remain a chance to bask in the glow for awhile. Lighten up, Francis.

[NHSparky]

I don't think anybody has lost sight of the fact that Masshole is still a blue state. This election simply allows the few reds who remain a chance to bask in the glow for awhile. Lighten up, Francis.

I'll "lighten up" if and when the GOP ALSO learns from this.  It isn't a mandate FOR the GOP so much as it's a refutation of big government liberalism.  Never forget that there's only a shadow's worth of difference between the Dems and Republicans once inside the Beltway.

I saw what happened after 1994, and wasn't thrilled by it.  I'm hoping we don't have a repeat of the drunken sailor spending RINOs we got after that election.

[jinxmchue]

Today should be a banner day for listening and watching the liberal pundits on radio and TV.  Last night, both Olbermann and Maddow looked like either they had diarrhea or their beloved grandmothers had just died, and I think Matthews was tossing back the brewskis between commercial breaks.

[5412]

Before we get to crazy, remember one small thing, kids:

As inept and incompetent as Coakley was, she STILL got 47 percent of the vote.

Hi,

In MA they could run a serial killer on the democrat ticket and they would get 47%.  Normally democrats get a whole lot more.

regards,
5412

[Eupher]

I'll "lighten up" if and when the GOP ALSO learns from this.  It isn't a mandate FOR the GOP so much as it's a refutation of big government liberalism.  Never forget that there's only a shadow's worth of difference between the Dems and Republicans once inside the Beltway.

I saw what happened after 1994, and wasn't thrilled by it.  I'm hoping we don't have a repeat of the drunken sailor spending RINOs we got after that election.

In that case, I think we're both singin' off the same page.

In Masshole, the opportunity for ACORN to shine forth and do what they do was never more predicated. While no election is error-free, I'm sincerely surprised that the results weren't closer than they were.

All the same, Masshole is bluer than Blue Man Group. Brown's election doesn't change that fact. Beacon Street and the State House are still outfitted with the moonbats that actually put Marcia up to play. The fact that she's a ****up of the first order AND that the reds got energized enough to marshal forces enough to lend a real, honest-to-God presence in opposition AND that Coakley went on freakin' vacation over the holidays, arrogantly thinking that the Kennedy seat was hers for the taking, well, that's politics.

Blue ain't goin' over to purple. And probably not ever in your part of the country.