The MA Story: Did Progressives Decide They'd Had Enough? 
For all too long the Democratic hierarchy has concluded that progressives will vote predictably on election day for the simple reason that they have no viable alternative to the Republican opposition.
Increased warnings of displeasure drew no more than a few shrugs, but now that Republican Scott Brown has won the Senate seat long held by progressive icon Ted Kennedy perhaps the Democratic Party high command will awaken before more of the same occurs. They should be well aware that if such a result can occur in liberal Massachusetts with its top heavy 3-1 Democratic registration that it can happen anywhere.
Remember what disgusted not only progressives but many mainstream moderates as well when Congress began considering a health care bill. It was made emphatically clear that the single payer system which has served as the model of America's neighbor to the north, Canada, would not even be discussed in the wake of national polls indicating that a substantial majority of Americans favored such a proposal.
After points of opposition stated by the Iowa Republican senator were met Grassley revealed where he really stood, stating that even if every bone of contention were erased and a bill met every standard on his part that as a good party person he would still oppose such a measure as long as his colleagues opposed it.
The conclusion was what progressives believed at the outset -- that it was a waste of time pursuing Grassley.
There was also the effort to bring Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine into the fold. When a public option, something progressives strongly favored, was mentioned the New England solon spoke of such a prospect as a potential cancer on our very system, flying in the face of free enterprise American tradition, Medicare notwithstanding and never mentioned by her.
The longer that the pathetic contretemps lasted the more burning and lasting the fires within the minds and hearts of progressives became. So during this same period along came a Republican state senator running for the seat held from 1962 until his death by Ted Kennedy.
A triathlon competitor who rises at 5 a.m. and campaigns energetically , spiritedly pumping the flesh, emerges. Scott Brown is no staid prude. After all, he posed nude for Cosmopolitan to help him pays bills during law school. Here is no Mitt Romney in a tailored suit speaking corporatese. Instead here is a man who drives to and from campaign appearances in an old truck.
What did Scott Brown do that triggered the floodtide in his direction that resulted in a 5-point triumph and defied the Democratic Massachusetts party establishment?
Brown expressed vigorous dissatisfaction with the health care bill promoted by President Obama. He also sharply declared that he is his own man.
How people hunger to believe that there are still some office seekers out there who are not essentially bought and paid for to serve establishment promoting corporate lobbyists, and who really do stand for change, the kind that Obama advocated while running for president.
Let us see what happens when Scott Brown begins serving as junior senator from Massachusetts. Let us see also how the Democratic establishment responds to this volcanic shot fired across the bow by the people of that liberal commonwealth of Massachusetts, home of the Kennedy family.
KEYWORDS: Scott Brown, Charles Grassley, Olympia Snowe, Obama Health Care Proposal
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