How did it come to pass that all of the populist fervor moved independents in Massachusetts to be excited about a senator who will inevitably side with insurance moguls, hedge fund operators, anti-choice zealots, tea partiers, and drug companies?
It is really rather simple. They were told that their vote was a national referendum and the Obama Administration had sided time after time with the drug companies, insurance companies, and big banks. The Administration had a choice and they made it.
And the voters did not like it. Anyone associated with insider deals, bank bailouts, executive bonuses, and individual mandates to buy lousy private insurance was not on their side.
So now the arguments begin among the timid, ingrown class of humanity known as campaign consultants, bundlers and many elected officials - fight or try to find common ground with those that FDR would have called enemies.
The Senate authorized passing health care reform by a 51 vote majority when it authorized the budget many months ago. It has not been necessary for a long time to satisfy the demands of Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson and Evan Bayh. And it is still not necessary.
There should be no unseemly rush to pass legislation before the new senator from Massachusetts is seated. There should be a principled effort to pass real health reform using the budget reconciliation process already approved and widely used in earlier Administrations that had the courage of their convictions.
The voters are angry. They deserve to be. And the only issues are who is going to harness that energy and to what end. The Obama Administration has to choose between the corporate interests that are so influential with key staffers in the White House and the change that voters assumed in sweeping Obama to victory.