In a sign that can be read as genuine desperation, the White House has decided that President Obama will travel to Massachusetts to appear with ailing Democratic Senate Candidate Martha Coakley this Sunday.
Amidst headlines in Boston about Bill Clinton's visit to help Coakley with a fundraiser, at a cost of $2,400 per attendee, and two pulled ads within days where Coakley's campaign attacked State Sen. Scott Brown, Obama's appearance has huge political consequences: not for her, but for him.
What can Obama do that millions of dollars from unions, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Pharma, and the Massachusetts Democratic machine can't do in this eleventh hour visit?
Amidst the tragedy in Haiti, on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, when work and schools are out and Massachusetts tends to drive north or south for 45 degree temps, this could even be a low turnout event.
What message will that send the independent voters that Scott Brown has captured the imagination of?
What can Obama do but bring press to an already withering candidate who hasn't been able to connect with voters or answer fair press questions or debate questions posed by David Gergen?
It is, as Brown aptly said, "The People's Seat."
So to make it about health care is dishonest. Democrats can pass a bill with or without a Coakley vote if they need to go nuclear. Furthermore, in Monday night's Senate debate, Coakley did not seem to understand that saying she'd only vote for legislation passed by the House leaves a door a Mack Truck could drive through on how she'd vote on compromise legislation.
The White House does not seem to be getting the message of this dog-eat-dog Mass Senate race. It is not about health care. It is about arm twisting and power games of old. That is what voters want to change. Even more than changing health care, which Massachusetts already has, voters want a fair shake.
In coming, Obama is stacking the deck. It will fall or not, depending on who wins. The fact the race has gotten this close at all must be sending shivers down the spines of establishment Democrats nationally.
The only real fixes here for Coakley, other than a lucky resurgence: send Hillary Clinton, who won the state's primary. Or donate the fundraising money from the Bill Clinton event to the relief efforts in Haiti, not a cash-rich Senate campaign.
Caroline Gluck: Dispatch from the Ground in Haiti
The needs in Haiti now are enormous, as most basic services just aren't functioning. At the best of times, daily life in Haiti for the 80% or so of the population, who have to live on less than two dollars a day, is a daily struggle.
Since 2004 Americans have been paying $45 billion a year to cover healthcare costs for those who either don't have it or don't have enough.
Is America not aware that George Bush attempted to tackle healthcare? Google it.
Seriously insurance is for emergencies, like a car wreck, or you have a heart attack or come down with cancer, not for day to day care.
Our system is totally messed up, because we are using insurance to pay for day to day care. Insurance should be for real emergencies, not for a regular doctor visit. We should have a very high deductible system (like do not call the insurance company unless the bill is over $5000), then we should force doctors and other medical providers to publish rates so people can comparison shop, plus we need to force the AMA to stop restricting the number of positions open in medical schools.
And end the drug war and do away with the whole prescription system while we are at it. That would be real health care reform, what the democrats offer is a socialism for the rich insurance companies.
http://my.barackobama.com/CoakleyN2N
Sign up and make some calls on Martha Coakley's behalf. I did, and I spoke to some of the nicest people. I got through to over 40 people, and all but a few were voting for Martha (including two people who were rounding up their whole family to vote for her). BTW: the few who weren't voting for Martha Coakley were undecided!
It's really an inspiring feeling to pick up the phone and dial a voter's number on the other side of the country (I'm in Los Angeles) and hear them say, "Oh, yes, we're all supporting Martha, don't you worry."
Make some calls for Martha right now!
http://my.barackobama.com/CoakleyN2N
Remember: anything worth having is worth fighting for and "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality."
Yes, the Brown model is a “template” and ‘national model’ of seminal political significance in our waning Republic --- our ‘commonwealth’, our common interests, and our common good.
To the extent that the ‘Brown model’ is the ‘national model’ of not only the GOP (as some in the media suspect) but of the entire two-party ‘Vichy’ front for this Global corporate Empire (which it most certainly is), then 2010 is going to be much more dangerous than a few gutless Democrats losing Congress. 2010 to 2012 could well be a much more visible slow-motion train-wreck and burial of the entire American founding and noble ‘experiment in democracy’.
Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine
Dear MoveOn member,
With "tea party" money pouring into the fight for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, the airwaves full of outside ads, and the polls showing a tight race, Democrat Martha Coakley needs a massive get-out-the-vote effort between now and Tuesday.
Special elections are won by the campaign that does the best job getting its supporters to the polls. Organizing for America has an online tool where you can call likely Democratic voters in Massachusetts and remind them to vote on Tuesday. Can you make a few calls right now?
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86037&id=18606-3024395-f5KEvcx&t=1
Right-wing smear merchants are spending $1 million or more on attack ads, and the tea partiers are out in full force for Republican Scott Brown. They would like nothing better than to stop health care reform by winning this race. We can't let them.
Martha Coakley's vote is needed to pass health care reform and the rest of President Obama's agenda. As Massachusetts' first female senator, she will fight to advance Sen. Ted Kennedy's legacy.
Martha Coakley is fighting to hold onto the seat Ted Kennedy held for 47 years. Letting the tea partiers win this race is simply not an option. Please sign up today to help get out the vote in these critical last few days:
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86037&id=18606-3024395-f5KEvcx&t=2
Thank you.
Adam, Stephen, Carrie, Kat, and the rest of the team
I am a life-long Democrat. At age 4, I was the youngest member of the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) a now defunct liberal political organization, and I'm going to have a hard time voting for Coakley. Voting for Brown is not even remotely conceivable--I may write someone in. If Coakley loses, would grid lock in Congress be such a bad thing?
Scott Brown: Obama not invited to this party
Like the President needs an invitation from the Republican candidate? Remember folks, Barack Obama was not elected as a Republican, nor as an independent. Barack Obama won as a Democrat.
Then the op-ed opens with this:
"Surging GOP Senate candidate Scott Brown yesterday warned President Obama to “stay away” from the Bay State..."
"Surging"(?) Scott Brown "warned"(?) the President to "stay away"? Who does this chump think he's talking to? Nobody "warns" the president to "stay away", when Martha Coakley invites the President to help rally the base in support of her campaign.
Somewhere there has been a failure to communicate, and we haven't been properly managing expectations. Republicans always expect Democrats to act like a "schmoo". Our party is expected to roll over and allow our political aspirations to be sacrificed?
smear attacks only reveal fear and panic!
No matter what he does, and this is not whining, Obama is going to be criticized with gusto.
IMHO, I believe he is making the right decision. As I said, his responsibilities are vast, and even with the unthinkable devastation in Haiti, Obama must fullfil many obligations. It comes with the job...he is doing exceptionally well.
Obama followed by VP Biden have been visiting, directing others, utilizing OFA, and supervising closely the goings on in Haiti, foreign policy, domestic policy, elections. That is what leader do...and honestly, in my long experience, Obama-Biden Administration has impressed me most with all they are dealing with. Bless Obama and Joe.
Massachussetts needs extra oomph, give Coakley's campaign extra oomph in many ways, one being Presidnet Obama. He's doing fine taking care of business...let him visit and inspire.
sorry
Martha played it safe...but we aren't voting for Martha Coakley, we are voting against Scott Brown.
Scott Brown is a pretty face who will just say "No" to everything, no matter how important it is to America. The Republican party is the party of big business. It is ludicrous when citizens believe that the Republican party cares about ordinary middle-class people. The rich media types - Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh - they don't even believe what they are selling. P.T. Barnum was right.
There's a sucker born every minute and the pretty face of Scott Brown is attracting a lot of suckers.
Family value guy? He and Dr. Laura should do a new photo spread.