Whoa.
Did you know that the Massachusetts Senate special election to replace Ted Kennedy is scheduled for January 19?
A pro-Health care Democrat (Paul Kirk) is in the seat now. He is the 60th vote in favor of the Health Care Reform bill. But he is just a seat-warmer until the January 19 election. The winner of the special election will take over as soon as she or he is certified.
And that's what scares me.
Attorney General Martha Coakley leads her Republican rival state Sen. Scott Brown by a mere nine points in the race to succeed the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll published today.
The telephone poll of likely voters in the Jan. 19 special election found Coakley, a Democrat, leading Brown 50 to 41 percent, the poll said. One percent of survey participants favor another candidate and seven percent are undecided.
Low voter turnout is expected for the election. Coakley, Brown and Independent candidate Joseph L. Kennedy are squaring off this morning on 96.9-WTKK at a radio debate hosted by Margery Eagan and Jim Braude.
A nine point margin is way too close for comfort, in my opinion. Especially in an unpredictable low-turnout special election where a surge of hyper-motivated tea-partiers may unexpectedly show up at the polls.
If Coakley loses, and Brown wins, we lose our 60 Senate votes. The health care reform bill, and all the good it will do, will go down in flames, or will be further watered down to please Republican Senator Oympia Snowe.
Coakley needs our help if she is going to be the 60th vote for health care reform. Please contribute now to assure health care passes. And please recommend this diary so everyone here knows what's at stake January 19.