DESPERATE MEASURES

The situation in Massachusetts is like a nuclear bomb detonating in the heart of Washington D.C.  Just about every poll is favoring Republican Scott Brown over Democrat Martha Coakley.  The most tone-deaf adminitration evah is finally coming to the realization that ultra-blue Massachusetts is sending them a big, neon-rimmed sign that their radical, far-left agenda, including (or perhaps especially) the health care debacle currently making it's torturous way through Congress, is being rejected.

Let's face it - if you can't sell your ultra-liberal, far-left agenda in bluer than blue Massachusetts, where can you sell it?

There are so many factors involved in the slap in the face that is the special senate election that it will be impossible to blame just one thing.  But fear not, I'm sure the liberals will do what they always do and turn on their own.  It's not the agenda, it's Coakley and her poorly run campaign.  Which didn't really hit the skids until her D.C. cronies stepped in to 'help'.  The votes haven't even been cast yet, and already they don't even know her name. 

They tried to run her against George W. Bush again, but that old saw just isn't biting anymore.  Perhaps if the past year's democratic highlights (or lowlights, if you prefer) didn't include the $787 billion 'stimulus', the $410 billion Omnibus spending package, and a $1.1 trillion spending bill, their message that Bush ran up the deficits and caused the continuing economic hardships might sell better.  Blaming Bush is laughable, and the electorate, even in MA, know it.

So now the powers that be in D.C. are scrambling to salvage ObamaCare. 

The sheer number of trial balloons being floated right now are indicative of how desperate they are.  The current seat warmer for 'Teddy's seat', Paul Kirk, has said that he will cast the 60th vote, even if Brown wins the election tomorrow.  It turns out this is not feasible.  This puts the kibosh on their plans to slow Brown's certification until after a vote for health care has been taken (although I'm sure they will still try).  That would delay Brown's certification for weeks, possibly up to a month, and there is doubt the electorate would go for that.  The dems are desperate, but that is a little too in-your-face politicking even for them.

Their plan to pass it in parliamentary reconciliation with a 51 vote majority is just a lot of hot air.  The reconciliation process is for budgetary issues only, so many of the insurance reforms, such as pre-existing conditions, would not be in a reconciled bill.  Not only that, the bill would expire in 5 years, so there would be massive taxation with absolutely no coverage to speak of in return.  Yeah, that's a winner.

So now Obama is attempting to force the House to pass the Senate version as it sits.  This would mean no vote in the Senate, as they already passed the bill.  Unfortunately for Obama, Pelosi is not really hot on the idea.  They were already having trouble reconciling the House and Senate versions due to the core differences with abortion and the public option.  The chances that the House will vote to pass the Senate version are slim.

Unfortunately for democrats, that is also their best option.

Tomorrow will be a referendum on ObamaCare, no matter how much the dems deny, deny, deny.  Let's hope the polls are right, and the people of MA send a message that Obama, Pelosi and Reid can't ignore.