With the continuing humanitarian crises in Haiti dominating the focus of the Sunday morning chat shows, the number one political story in the U.S. will climax sometime tomorrow night in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where the special election to determine the successor to Ted Kennedy is considered a too close to call fight between Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Scott Brown.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is calling the election a referendum on the struggling health care reform legislation that Democrats hope will be voted on and approved within the next couple of weeks.
On Fox News Sunday, the Kentucky Republican said:
"Regardless of the outcome Tuesday, we know that in the most liberal state in America, we are going to have a close election for the United States Senate because people in Massachusetts don’t want this health care bill passed. It is perfectly clear: if it is unpopular in Massachusetts, it’s unpopular everywhere. The American people don’t want us to pass this bill.”
Another U.S. Senator also sounded, well, not critical, but not extremely enthusiastic about the health care legislation.
That would be Florida Democrat Bill Nelson, who on BayNews9's Political Connections, said there had been "mistiming" on the part of the White House in pushing so hard over the last year on a health care bill.
Nelson said, "I think the Obama organization felt so confident that they could tackle health care reform, and I think they miscalculated, because the economy came front and center." Nelson said if the administration could have a do over, "they might reconsider."
Nelson was also asked about the continuing bickering between the political parties, which has gotten no better and may be worse a year after Barack Hussein Obama succeeded George W. Bush. Nelson said it was his biggest disappointment, adding that he's "mystified by the excessive partisanship and ideological rigidity" that exists today in the nation's capital.
Getting back to the health care bill, McConnell on FNS was asked by host Brit Hume what would be better for Republicans politically – that the Democrats passed a bill that does not have popular support from the country, or that the Dems fail to pass a bill, a la 1994, which is one reason Democrats say they suffered so harshly at the polls that year.
McConnell predicted that the Democrats are screwed either way, saying:
"I think the politics are toxic for the Democrats either way. This arrogant attempt to have the government take over one-sixth of the economy, on the heels of running banks, insurance companies, car companies, taking over the student loan business, doubling the national debt in five, tripling it in 10. You've got … sort of widespread public revulsion to this program."
Meanwhile, President Obama did campaign for Coakley yesterday in Massachusetts. Not augering well for Coakley's chances are the fact that she is not doing well with independents, according to the Boston Globe, which reported yesterday:
In a series of polls that show a range of different results between Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Scott Brown, independents were the key variable. In most of the polls, Brown leads Coakley among independents by at least 2 to 1.
Conservative journalist Byron York in the Washington Examiner says there are two issues up in the Bay State tomorrow: health care, and one party rule. Another issue York reports which bears mentioning is a local factor – corruption among Democratic party officials in Massachusetts that may also sway independents to vote for Scott Brown:
Finally, there is a growing sense that the Democratic party's domination has led to widespread corruption. Three — yes, three — consecutives speakers of the Massachusetts state legislature, all Democrats, have been indicted. Other Democratic lawmakers are in trouble, as well. There has perhaps never been a better time for a Republican to argue that one-party rule has led to too much conformity and corruption.
This article appears in Jan 13-19, 2010.