Political Timing (Updated x2)
[Guest post by DRJ]
Massachusetts has scheduled a special election for January 19, 2010, to replace Senator Ted Kennedy. Democrat Martha Coakley will face Republican Scott Brown. Coakley leads but Brown is narrowing the gap in this traditionally blue state. However, if Brown should win, Democratic leaders may prolong certification of the election so his vote won’t impact Obama’s health care reform plans:
“The U.S. Senate ultimately will schedule the swearing-in of Kirk’s successor, but not until the state certifies the election.
Today, a spokesman for Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, who is overseeing the election but did not respond to a call seeking comment, said certification of the Jan. 19 election by the Governor’s Council would take a while.
“Because it’s a federal election,” spokesman Brian McNiff said. “We’d have to wait 10 days for absentee and military ballots to come in.”
Another source told the Herald that Galvin’s office has said the election won’t be certified until Feb. 20 – well after the president’s address.
Since the U.S. Senate doesn’t meet again in formal session until Jan. 20, Bay State voters will have made their decision before a vote on health-care reform could be held. But [current Senator Paul] Kirk and Galvin’s office said today a victorious Brown would be left in limbo.
In contrast, Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Lowell) was sworn in at the U.S. House of Representatives on Oct. 18, 2007, just two days after winning a special election to replace Martin Meehan. In that case, Tsongas made it to Capitol Hill in time to override a presidential veto of the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.”
H/T Hot Air.
— DRJ
UPDATE: William A. Jacobson at Leg*al In*sur*rec*tion looks into whether SEIU is behind some anti-Brown push-polling in Massachusetts.
UPDATE 2: Via GatewayPundit, Brown appeared on Sean Hannity tonight and promised to be the 41st vote against ObamaCare.