Populist Republican Scott Brown Wins Big In Mass. Election

In order to change the system we have to engage the system. Obamacare, for all intents and purposes, is now dead on arrival.

Republican Scott Brown has won the Massachusetts Senate seat held for nearly a half-century by Democrat Edward Kennedy. Brown’svictory in the special election gives Senate Republicans the 41st votethey need to block legislation favored by majority Democrats and President Barack Obama.

Striving for an epic upset in liberal Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown pushed ahead of Democrat Martha Coakley on Tuesday in a U.S. Senate election that became a referendum on President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul and his first year.

A loss — or even a narrow victory — by the once-favored Coakley for the seat that the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedyheld for nearly half a century in this Democratic stronghold couldsignal big political problems for the president’s party this fall whenHouse, Senate and gubernatorial candidates are on the ballot nationwide.

More immediately at stake was a critical 60th vote for Democrats to save their health care legislationGOP to block the president’s priorities with filibusters.

With 60 percent of precincts reported, Brown held a steady lead over Coakley.

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2010-01-19