[Fast_Eddie]

So, last week we all watched as a few Americans in Massachusetts put a gun in our collective mouths and tried to pull the trigger. (Collective?! You Socialist!) Now that the shock had subsided a bit I'm feeling a little better. Not sure what's going to happen, but a couple of thoughts.

Their man Brown, who according to all reports was elected as a symbol that Americans were tired of the partisan bickering, is signing his autograph "41". Nice. Way to show everyone you're not just another partisan hack. Republican leaders looked energized after the election and couldn't find a TV camera or microphone to get in front of fast enough. Amazingly all these free thinking Republicans said exactly the same thing. "We have to kill this bill and start over". They were quite clear that we could not possibly amend this current bill. We have to waste another year working on this. Hum.

Man, the political winds change quickly anymore and the Republicans seem to be back on their feet if only a little. But they're not exactly spouting bipartisan cooperation. If the lesson to Democrats is "don't let power go to your head" it seems to have been lost on the Republicans. And if the move in polls to the Republican side was in some part based on the idea that a Supermajority shouldn't stand, that issue is resolved.

So what do you think? I can't say what will happen this fall. But it seems quite possible the Republicans who needed only to shut up and wait may do some damage to their chances between now and then. Then they have the whole Tea gang to deal with, trying very hard to push them even further to the right. I can't imagine that the Democrats won't feel some pain in the fall, but maybe not as much as people thought last week.

Take care,

Ed