from the boston herald

published: January 22 2010 09:44 AM updated:: January 22 2010 10:44 AM

"It was -- for the second time in Massachusetts history -- the shot heard round the world, or at the very least from coast to coast and surely in the halls of Congress. Scott Brown won this one fair and square with his down-to-earth charm, his hard work and his forthright position on issues -- and with the help of that much-disparaged by the opposition pick-up truck. But it is also true that Brown was the right candidate at the right time with the right message. And it's that message that the White House and congressional Democrats can no longer ignore. After all, if the people of Massachusetts can send a Republican to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat Ted Kennedy had a lock on for 47 years, then the revolution has indeed begun. And like that battle in Concord more than two centuries ago, this is only the opening round. Her fellow Democrats will attempt to blame the loss entirely on Martha Coakley, her inability to connect with voters, her verbal blunders and on assuming her primary victory was all she needed. Much of that is true, but it is also true that Coakley promised to be simply more of the same. And voters here are tired of more of the same. They don't see the point of an expensive new health care bill that threatens to damage the health care industry here, disrupt service to Medicare recipients and tax us all -- especially when we already insure 97.4 percent of our people. They don't see the point of paying higher and higher energy costs, when the world's pollution is not our fault. They don't see the point of growing the deficit so that our children and grandchildren will be paying for today's policy mistakes -- including a $787 stimulus bill that didn't. Most of all they are simply tired of the kind of Washington arrogance that says 'don't worry, we know what's best for you.' Voters of Massachusetts wanted to take back the power that has been so sorely abused. Yesterday they did." --Boston Herald