A Few Words On The Massachusetts Senate Race

Some quick thoughts on the Martha Coakley loss tonight. First, Tim Kaine and the Democratic party leadership blew this one. They need to shoulder the blame completely and figure out how not to blow the next one. Second, senate Democrats like Claire McCaskill & Jim Webb have let Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, and Mary Landrieu hold the Senate hostage while 43 million people are still uninsured and millions will continue to be trapped in their jobs because of pre-existing clauses. And of course the insurance companies will still ignore entreaties for reform and continue to make it their central policy to figure out how to deny claims.

The MSM meme of course will be the Democrats have to shift further right. They will still use GOP talking points to frame the issues to look “fair & balanced” and tell their viewers that if the Democrats don't follow suit on a host of issues with a shift to the right policy wise they are doomed. I’m still wondering why the GOP reaction to any win or loss is the same: to shift further right. The Democratic party seems to have the same reaction: shift rightward no matter the circumstances.

Finally, here’s my suggestion for the DNC: try shifting to more progressive policy solutions for once. Then maybe, just maybe there won’t be anymore Martha Coakley’s. And to the MSM and the Democratic partisan hand wringers: we’ve won three of the last four special federal elections since 2008: NY-20, NY-23 and CA-10. The Democratic party still has the power to control the debate if they would just use it. Call your Democratically elected official now and ask them to actually use the power they were handed in Nov. 2008. If not, get out of the way and let a progressive candidate do it.

And one more thing: would you now please run Lieberman out of the party caucus and strip him of his committee chair? There is really no point of leaving him there. Only further humiliation will result.