Scott Brown Wins Massachusetts Seat and claims an election year full of "Surprises."

In a stunning upset victory last night in the Massachusetts Senate Race, Scott Brown may have sent a new shot heard 'round the nation and it may have significant implications for democratic strategies in Health Care, Energy and a whole host of other changes they want implement.
Brown's win was decisive, exceeding any possible margin of fraud that might have been claimed by his opponents. His challenger,  Martha Coakley to her credit, saw the writing on the wall and bowed out graciously, wishing the Senator-Elect well in his public service endeavors.  It was a uncommon gesture in today's national political scene.

The election now pits two opposing sets of activities against a collision course of action and ideas. The Democrats now must struggle to eke out their Health Care bill from Conference as fast as possible and Scott Brown must work to get his election certified as quickly as possible so he can be sworn in by the Senate. Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin had hinted that he could take up to 10 days to certify the results, a move roundly criticized as an attempt to delay the seating of Brown who promised to be the Senator to vote down the current Health Care measure. An article in today's Boston Globe now has Galvin willing to send unofficial results to the Secretary of the US Senate, "right away." which would then leave it up to the Senate as to when they would seat Brown.

The current Senator from Massachusetts, Paul G. Kirk Jr. will remain seated until Brown can be sworn in. He has vowed to vote for the Health Care bill if it arrives out of conference before Brown could be sworn in. An article in the Weekly Standard questions whether or not Kirk will be able to vote saying that an appointed Senator remains in office only until the election and qualification of a duly elected person to fill the position. It remains to be seen what "qualification" means, but the article adds that long standing precedent in the Constitution, the Ma. State law and the Senate, Kirk should not be allowed to vote, citing that Brown meets the qualifications for office of age, residency and citizenship requirements to hold a Senate seat and he was elected by the voters of his state.

Democrats sought to distance themselves from Coakley's campaign in the days leading up to the election, despite a campaign stop by President Obama on Sunday. Already, private sources have criticized her management of the effort and beltway insiders have played down the significance of a Brown victory.

In a post-election poll conducted by Rassmussen Reports, shows that the voters in the Bay state noted that the economy and jobs were more important issues that Health Care. According to Rassmussen, this follows a nationwide trend of voters and the election season this fall will begin to seem like a millstone around the necks of vulnerable democrats. There are serious implications for voting for any legislation that increases the debt or requires new taxes and those who represent sensitive political districts will have to carefully balance the administration's interests against their own.

At the election rally last night, Scott Brown projected that he was on the forefront of a sea of change. Telling his supporters, "I'm ready to go to Washington without delay."  His victory speech also told of an, "election year full of surprises. They will be challenged again and again across this country. When there's trouble in Massachusetts, there trouble everywhere - and now they know it."