If Republican Scott Brown defeats Democrat Martha Coakley for the Massachusetts US. Senate seat, the Democrats may have no one to blame but themselves. Massachusetts law called for a special election to fill the seat vacated by Edward Kennedy’s death in August 2009. But Democrats were so eager to quickly fill the seat with another Democrat—who would be a guaranteed vote for ObamaCare—that the state legislature changed the law to enable the Democrat Governor to appoint a temporary replacement until a special election could be held. Governor Deval Patrick quickly appointed Kennedy ally Paul G. Kirk, Jr.—former chairman of the Democrat National Committee—to “keep the seat warm.” Kirk was sworn in September 25, 2009. The Democrats consumed valuable time by changing the state law. In the short run, they got Kirk in place as the 60th Democrat Senator. But in the long run they delayed the special election. Had they worked instead to schedule an earlier election, they might have been able to elect Coakley before public opinion shifted further away from support of their health care legislation. If, for example, the election had been held before the wheeling and dealing of Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) to “trade” his vote in exchange for a “sweetheart deal” for Nebraska, Massachusetts voters might have been less turned off by shady Democrat political tactics. The Democrats may now face the six-year prospect of a Republican Senator from Massachusetts—and it will be their own fault.

Don Fredrick

January 18, 2009