Game Changer

The healthcare debate has just been thrown a curveball. On Tuesday, Massachusetts voters chose republican Scott Brown to replace the late Ted Kennedy in the U.S. senate. Brown will be the only republican in Congress from the largely democratic state. For Massachusetts, his election means that their state healthcare program will have a better chance of being left alone. A new federal plan would likely disrupt the program that Brown helped to install in Massachusetts.

Brown, a former model, will be the 41st republican in the senate, disrupting the democratic control over a filibuster by the republicans. There have been rumors that the democrats would possibly rush a vote on healthcare reform before Brown gets sworn-in, but nothing has happened yet, and nothing should. If the Senate were to pass a health care bill in the next few days, just before the Massachusetts senator-elect were to be seated, the bill would be tainted. Who wants a health care bill that only 99 senators were able to vote on. The state of Massachusetts probably doesn't even want a federal healthcare bill, as they already have a state-wide system.

Congress has been debating healthcare for months now, and it seems as if President Obama may finally be expressing some anger that nothing has happened. In the days leading up to the election, Obama pleaded with the voters and with the democratic candidate, Martha Coakley, to preserve the democratic control in Congress. The New York Times said yesterday,

As voters went to the polls, Robert Gibbs, White House press secretary, made it clear that the president was "not pleased" with the situation Ms. Coakley found herself in. "He was both surprised and frustrated," Mr. Gibbs said.

Of course Obama would be frustrated! The center of his campaign was healthcare, and nothing has been done! I would be mad too, but apparently the people of Massachusetts were mad enough to vote in a republican who would staunchly oppose democratic healthcare plans.