Republicans win Ted Kennedy's old Senate seat

[mateykatie]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8466995.stm

Democrats outnumber Republicans in Massachussetts 3 to 1. A massive massive upset.

Obama needs 60 Senate votes to pass the final stages of the healthcare bill, unless the House compromises and accepts an old version of the Senate bill. He doesn't have 60 votes.

Seen from a UK perspective it is a bit baffling. After all the healthcare proposals are pretty weak by our standards.

But speaking to American friends, Obama's health reforms are really quite unpopular. In particular, the details are very different to what Obama said in his campaign, due to the necessity of compromising to get key Senators on board.

A lesson to politicians. Do what people want, not what you want, and keep your promises.

A lesson to the rest of the world, I'd have thought. i.e. Americans are incapable of pulling together to look out for the less-fortunate inside their own country and therefore not to be trusted when it claiming to be looking out for the rest of us. The national motto should be adjusted to 'I'm all right Jack'....