Democrats Waited to Exhale - In the End, Healthcare Reform May Die

Published: 25th January 2010

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Who knew?

The end of health insurance reform came down to one seeminlgly simple election that got really, really complicated. What's more baffling is that nearly no one saw it coming.

Massachusetts Democrat Martha Coakley was considered a shoo-in to replace former Senator Ted Kennedy, who succumbed to brain cancer last fall. But up jumped a Republican rabbit and one not without past transgressions (or at least eyebrow raises from his fellow policticos who would prefer to forget the racy 80's centerfold photo of Scott Brown, Coakley's opponent). The Obama Administration is shell-shocked that a relative unknown with a relatively simple battle cry against the promise or perils of healthcare reforms.

Criminals often claim they were at the wrong place at the wrong time as the reason for their violations. In this neck-and-neck election, Brown himself would likely boast that he was most definitely at the right place at a pivotal time in United States history. While the healthcare plan isn't officially dead, it's certainly dying on the vine on Capitol Hill. Just waiting for Brown or one of his colleagues on the right side of the aisle to stand and deliver what is likely to be the longest filibuster ever captured on CSPAN.

As for Coakley, her concession speech was blunt but gracefully conciliatory. What was there to say after such a solid defeat after breathtaking appeals from Obama and staunch Democrats who were so eager to put healthcare behind them. It's akin to hiring a very slow contractor to rip an old roof to replace it, but once he pops the top, there's a widowless, unoccupied house that's completely rotten and needs to be bulldozed.

"There will be plenty of Wednesday morning wuarterbacking about what went right, what went wrong, and I know everyone --- including me -- will be brutally honest," uttered Coakley from behind a benign hotel ballroom podium, standing by a few questionably smug supporters. "...I will not forget the fierce determination with which we approached this."

But sometimes, determination just isn't enough to stem the tide of growing opposition against public policy that is inherantly flawed, a point Brown made very clear after his win.

"Raising taxes, taking over our health care, and giving new rights to terrorists is the wrong agenda for our country," said Brown. "What I've heard again and again on the campaign trail, is that our political leaders have grown aloof from the people, they're impatient with dissent, and comfortable in the back room making deals. And we can do better."

The final vote tally was 51 to 47 percent, a solid victory by any pundit's standards. Ironically enough, the battle was fought and won in the same state where Senator Kennedy himself worked tirelessly to bring affordable health plans to the masses. In the end, this election will go down as yet another shot heard round the world. No doubt about it.

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