Senator in the Centerfold

Get used to this picture, because I'm going to post it every time I mention Scott Brown. He's the Republican who won the Massachusetts special election to replace Edward M. Kennedy in the US Senate, in case you haven't heard.

He's kind of a Sarah Palin with about the same amount of gray matter but more testosterone, and he wants you to know that he drives a truck, and his daughters are available.

This would all be kind of funny except it's going to be even harder to pass health care reform now. Fox News pundits have gleefully proclaimed that "health care is dead!" Predictably, the spiteful, privileged, conservative, rich men are happy that the rest of us will suffer. I wonder if they laugh when they read the obituaries?

I don't know if health care is dead or if it's just on life support, but the Massachusetts vote is not a referendum on reform. This is a vote by one small state that already has their own health care reforms in place. And paradoxically, among the Brown supporters who are against the Senate health care bill, 23 percent thought the bill went "too far" -- but 36 percent thought it didn't go far enough and 41 percent said they weren't sure why they opposed it.

There are still ways that Democrats can pass a health care reform bill, if they can grow some balls and realize Republicans are going to piss and moan the whole way through.

Also, Scott Brown would like you to know one other thing: that sexy bod is only for the ladies.

Thank You Ted Kennedy

"He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it's hard to imagine any of them without him. " — statement from Edward Kennedy's family.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy died late Tuesday night. He was 77 years old and fighting brain cancer. He served in the U.S. Senate from 1962 until his death.

I know there will be many glowing and not-so-glowing tributes to this good yet flawed man, but here I would like to simply state my thanks for his diligent work towards progressive causes: the National Cancer Act, the Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments, the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Ryan White AIDS Care Act, the Civil Rights Act, the Mental Health Parity Act, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Freedom of Information Act, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Despite being born to privilege, Senator Kennedy was clearly an ally to every minority that faced discrimination and diminished opportunities. His compassion was reflected in his legislation, and he changed America for the better.

And quite possibly he was able to effect 46 years of change because he was never president:

But his failure to get to the presidency opened the way to the true fulfillment of his gifts, which was to become one of the greatest legislators in American history. When their White House years are over, most Presidents set off on the long aftermath of themselves. They give lectures, write books, play golf and make money. Jimmy Carter even won a Nobel Prize. But every one of them would tell you that elder-statesmanship is no substitute for real power.

Sadly, Ted Kennedy has died just as the "cause of his life" -- health care reform -- needs his vote. I hope this dream doesn't die with him. I hope there is a renewed zeal to provide quality health care for all. And I hope we can honor Ted Kennedy by naming such a landmark bill after him.

Rest in peace Teddy Kennedy.

Yes We Did!

Of course my worrying yesterday was for naught. All went well. Obama gave a beautiful speech after taking the inaugural oath.

My new concern is trying to tune out the fake outrage from the wingnuts. A few (and I hope they are a fringe) believe that Obama is not president because Chief Justice John Roberts tripped up the oath. Luckily the Twentieth Amendment clearly states "The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January... and the terms of their successors shall then begin." But the Constitution won't necessarily stop somebody from believing what they want to believe.

We can also expect plenty of jokes about Democratic Senator and former klansman Robert Byrd witnessing the inauguration of our first black president and then promptly collapsing. Except it was Sen. Edward Kennedy who collapsed not Byrd. Whatever.

I get the feeling that the next four years will be full of these small but necessary corrections. The biggest challenge for Obama, however, is living up to our expectations.