Such a Fuss!

His victory made him the 41st vote for Republicans in the U.S. Senate. Still, I am bemused by all the attention being heaped upon Senator-elect Scott Brown of Massachusetts and the unexpectedly glowing characterization of the Bay State by talking heads, writers, and bloggers of all stripes. It’s as though someone had just discovered a 51st state tucked away in the northeast.

Having been born 26 miles northwest of Boston; having roamed the Bay State and its environs for nigh on to four decades, I think that I know a little about Massachusetts, its people and the region. Trust me: It’s the same U.S. Commonwealth that it was before Scott Brown was elected – no better, no worse.

Massachusetts, a Source of Firsts: I won’t go through a list. But I will point out that long before Barack Obama began to remind Americans so often of how he is the first this and the first that, Massachusetts residents once chose Edward Brooke as the first modern African-American to serve in the U.S. Senate way back in 1967. I was proud of Brooke back then; yet I don’t recall Bay Staters making such a ruckus over it. Voters thought him qualified, put him in office, and that was that: Get to work.

Getting down to work on their behalf is no more, no less what Bay State residents expect from Scott Brown. He entered the race as an underdog, had the platform that voters wanted, worked his butt off campaigning, and pulled the rug out from under Martha Coakley, a lifelong Bay State resident fully backed by the Kennedys, but who simply did not keep her ears to the ground, and who forgot to campaign.

The Kennedy Factor. The mystique, charm, negotiation skills, effectiveness, political street-smarts, family tradition and tragedy associated with Ted Kennedy – love him or hate him – constituted the psyche of a political giant. Personal psyches, as Martha Coakley and the remaining Kennedys discovered, cannot be duplicated and are not transferable.

That is why Scott Brown is heading for Washington and Martha Coakley is not.

Note:  Photo of Edward Brooke, Courtesy/San Francisco Chronicle

Mr. Brown Goes to Washington?

The center of gravity in the national political arena has unexpectedly shifted from Washington, D.C. to Massachusetts. What was once expected to be an uneventful, solid Democrat win by Martha Coakley for the senate seat vacated by Ted Kennedy upon his death is turning into the possibility of an earth-splitting defeat for her and the Democrat party.

If Scott Brown, the Republic contender who mere days ago was trailing Coakley by a wide margin wins, President Barack Obama will lose his filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate. The implications of such an upset are mind-boggling for the nation – everything would change overnight. The President would have to alter his ram-it-through attitude towards legislation, and Americans would be the better for it.

Bi-partisanship, discordant though it might be, could actually take hold.

If anyone reading this does not believe that Washington Democrat power brokers are pulling out all stops to abort the last-minute possibility that Republican candidate Scott Brown will ever see the light of day as a U.S. Senator, consider this: 

Observe what President Obama is doing, not what he is saying: The White House announced today that he is leaving for Massachusetts on Sunday to campaign on Coakley’s behalf.

There is one place that would benefit far more from his visitation– Haiti. Yet there’s been no announcement that he has any plans to personally reassure the Haitian people and to bolster their morale by his presence.

President Obama has more pressing things to do in Massachusetts.

Blitzing Snowflakes

When I awoke and alighted from bed early this morning, it was still very dark outside, and there were no signs of the impending snowstorm. I like to get up early on Saturdays – no sleeping in for me. There were a couple of choices this morning: Go out and get some Christmas shopping done or stay snugly at home.

I chose a variation of the second choice: Get outside in the back yard and do some cleaning up and wood cutting before the storm hits. (I’m not a big fan of crashing the Bridgewater Commons Mall on a Saturday when everyone else will be frantically shopping before the snows come down.)

For those of you who will bravely drive to that big luxurious emporium off Commons Way, you will be pleased to discover that some soft new seating has been installed for your tushes to rest upon as you take a breather in between store visits. The new seating replaces all of the old wooden benches which were slowly being removed as they started deteriorating and eventually broke down. I thought they would never be replaced!

As for me, I headed outdoors after breakfast to do a little cleaning up and to saw some wood for the fireplace. It was 22° when I bundled up and walked into the back yard towards the wood pile. Not a soul outdoors but me. Even the traffic out front was light. I’d bet a $10 bill that not a dozen people in Bridgewater were out working on their properties at that hour.

Having spent half my life in Massachusetts; four years half-way up the state of Maine; and nearly another four years about a mile from the shore of Lake Ontario in New York State, getting out in the cold today was no big deal. After a little outdoor exertion the body warms up and the air becomes invigorating – another blessing from just being alive.

I finished everything ahead of the snows: At the moment, around 3:20 pm, the storm is claiming Bridgewater. Thanks for reading and be sure to take care of yourselves. Be especially careful to drive safely on those soon-to-become treacherous roadways.