Massachusetts Senate Race a Health-Care Referendum or a Referendum on Anger and Abuse of Power? - Mish

Massachusetts Senate Race a Health-Care Referendum or a Referendum on Anger and Abuse of Power? - Mish

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell says Massachusetts Senate Race Health-Care Referendum.

“Regardless of the outcome Tuesday, we know that in the most liberal state in America, we are going to have a close election for the United States Senate because people in Massachusetts don’t want this health care bill passed,” McConnell, of Kentucky, said today on “Fox News Sunday.”

“It is perfectly clear: if it is unpopular in Massachusetts, it’s unpopular everywhere,” McConnell said. “The American people don’t want us to pass this bill.”

Health care isn’t a primary issue in the race as Brown slams Coakley in the final days over taxes and what he calls negative campaign tactics, said Fred Bayles, director of Boston University’s Statehouse Program, which covers state government and politics.

“People are just really angry” about the economy and abuse of power involving the state’s Democratic Party, Bayles said by telephone.

Yes

The answer is yes.The special election is a health-care referendum, a reflection on widespread anger, and a reflection on abuse of political power, the latter not just about the Massachusetts Democratic Party. Anger is brewing everywhere to throw the bums out.

Certainly Obama's decision to cram health-care legislation through no matter how poorly it is written does not help. Nor does his expansion of troops in Afghanistan sit well with the Democratic party, nor does the bloated military budget.

On the Republican side, and with the "Blue-Dog" fiscal Democrats as well, his continuation of Bush's bailout policies have not played well. He is attempting to sidestep the bailout issue now with a tax on financial institutions, but by playing it both ways he looks disingenuous.

Finally, Obama's viral support for unions is offensive to any clear-thinking person from either party, notably the Republicans but also the "Blue-Dogs".

There are a lot of angry citizens, and a lot of reasons for citizens to be angry no matter what side of the aisle one is on. With Obama it has been politics as usual, only worse, frequently championing the worst ideas each party has to offer.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com