Ouch! Dems Down In Defeat!

Scott Brown's favorite movie? Free Willy

The moral of the story? Never rest on your laurels and believe you are invincible. Massachusetts Democrats learned that lesson the hard way yesterday when Republican newcomer Scott Brown defeated Democratic machine cog Martha Coakley in the special election to fill Ted Kennedy’s U.S. Senate seat. It is almost impossible to believe that a conservative, nude model and convicted shoplifter could be elected in the bluest of blue states. Nonetheless, it happened and part of the reason for Coakley’s defeat was her nonchalance at campaigning. She (and many of us) believed that merely being a member of the Democratic Party insured victory over a Republican. After all, the Republican Party has little to no presence in the Bay State and presently has the fewest elected members in state politics in its history. Coakley took the election for granted early on and when she finally realized that she was in trouble, it was too late to turn things around. She failed to make public appearances and get her message out early. She failed to inform the angry populace that their present economic woes were caused by politicians that carried out policies like those advanced by Brown. Finally, she unveiled an ignorance of the beloved Boston Red Sox.

There is hope however. Even with Brown as the 41st Republican senator, there are still 19 more Democrats in that position. To put things in perspective, George W. Bush never had nearly that much of a majority to work with and look at all the crappy legislation he pushed through. As a matter of fact, the Republicans have not had a 19 seat majority since the 1920’s when they did all that damage that led us into the Great Depression.

As for health care reform legislation, Brown has vowed to vote against it and to participate in a Republican filibuster that might kill the legislation. That is disheartening but not fatal to the cause. The House and Senate can either fast-track the  reconciliation of the bill and bring it to vote in both houses prior to Brown taking his seat in approximately two weeks. Or, alternatively the House could elect to accept the Senate version of the bill as is (as unpalatable as that may be) thereby denying Senate Republicans the opportunity to filibuster. In that case, a weaker form of health care reform legislation than most progressives desire would become law, but it would be a first step and it would prevent the denial of claims as the result of pre-existing conditions etc. The law could then be strengthened in subsequent years just as civil right laws were strengthened over a number of years in the 1960’s. Both of those choices are better than further watering down the legislation to placate Republicans who simply want to maintain the current unsustainable health care system.

The only certainty that we have is that Scott Brown will be going to Washington in the near future. For his sake, let’s hope that he keeps his clothes on. Who knows what could happen to a naked man with the likes of Larry Craig and David Vitter lurking around?

As for the Democrats? We received a wake-up call and we better heed it. It is time for the Democrats to get a spine and fight back against dangerous Republican policies and rhetoric. If we are forceful enough the people will listen. Remember, it was only two years ago when the Republicans were swept out of national office as the result of their failed policies. We must constantly remind the electorate of that if we are to continue on the path of change.

Please remember to click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along to today’s protest song parody. Sing loud. It will make you feel better!

We Didn’t Start The Fire song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKu2QaytmrM

WE DIDN’T START THE LYING

(sung to the Billy Joel song “We Didn’t Start The Fire”)

Ronald Reagan, Larry Craig, Mark Sanford, Tom Delay
Michelle Malkin, Michele Bachmann, “Goin’ with the flow”

Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Howard Baker, lack of vision
Spreading Fear, Acting queer, and ole Sixpack Joe

No icebergs, H-Bomb, “Pay for play”, “Hockey Mom”
Landrieu, Hamid Karzai, and that Michael Savage guy

Ivy tower, Van Flein, Tea-bagger party scene
Party of “No”, Tim Pawlenty, Let’s watch Glenn Beck cry

These are G.O.P. liars
Shy away from learning
Keep our stomachs turning
Burning their cross of fire
We watched them light it
And they can’t deny it

Vitter’s fallin’, Ginny Foxx, Boehner and Inhofe
Mitch McConnell, small umbrella, Talking the talk

Spin Zone, Rent to own, Straight martini, Bank loan
Russian view and Pastor Haggard’s flock

Sex crimes, Grassley, John McCain is “Mavericky”
Lining pockets, health care plan, Giuliani, Limbaugh Land

Barrasso, Fake protest, Tom “The Hammer”, Chambliss
Senate race, Lack of grace, and Melvin Martinez

These are G.O.P. liars
Shy away from learning
Keep our stomachs turning
Burning their cross of fire
We watched them light it
And they can’t deny it

Loaded Glock, SarahPAC, Sam Alito, Johnny Mack
Jindal, Right to die, Tripp’s father is Levi

Pentagon, Border wall, We must deport them all
Bed-wetters, genocide, No assisted suicide

Bush’s folly, Torture, Dick Cheney, Blackwater
Hate groups, Castro, John Ensign and his ‘ho

First Dude, Hannity, Mann Coulter and O’Reilly
Scooter Libby, Karl Rove, Sarah Palin’s “Sixpack Joes”

These are G.O.P. liars
Shy away from learning
Keep our stomachs turning
Burning their cross of fire
We watched them light it
And they can’t deny it

Kay Bailey, Muslims, K Street is full of bums
Villains, Pearlman, Iraqi Invasion

Health reform hysteria, Sarah Palin mania
Shameless G-Men, War in Afghanistan

Ron Paul, Airport sex, They don’t want no litmus test
Kneel and pray, Always “nay”, Can’t get married if you’re gay

These are G.O.P. liars
Shy away from learning
Keep our stomachs turning
Burning their cross of fire
We watched them light it
And they can’t deny it

Birth control, Lives of sin, They like folks that have white skin
Buckshot, Dow stock, Loud mouthed chicken-hawks
Takin’ Bacon, Palestine, Palin is no friend of mine
Now they have nukes in Iran, Couldn’t stop the Taliban

Makin’ fortunes, Soldiers die, Did we mention Glenn Beck cried?
Foreign debts, Homeless vets, Exposed by three jets
We voted them out the door, Now they’re just a mouse that roars
Spider holes and unjust wars, I can’t take them anymore.

These are G.O.P. liars
Shy away from learning
Keep our stomachs turning
Burning their cross of fire
We watched them light it
And they can’t deny it
(repeat chorus to fade)