Democrats apparently got the memo from Massachusetts.
Following the shocking Republican victory in the Senate race there, President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid put the brakes on their ill-advised rush to pass a bad bill meant to reform health care.
Ramming through a compromised bill, hammered together behind closed doors, would be bad for the country and bad for Democrats up for election in competitive races, like Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet.
We’ve said Bennet and Sen. Mark Udall should reject the so-called reform legislation, and perhaps the slower pace will give them a chance to do what’s right for Coloradans and the nation by helping to re-craft the legislation.
Both Colorado senators expressed laudable ideals for reforming health care early in the process, such as bringing down health costs for all Americans, a public option to promote competition, and universal coverage. But as the deal-making began, and the Senate dropped the public option, it became clear that our senators no longer needed to support the bill, as the legislation no longer lived up to their expectations.
Meanwhile, Bennet took to the Senate floor to decry the deal-making, as he did again Wednesday, only to then vote for the Senate measure.
Bennet on Wednesday said Democrats should wait for Scott Brown to be seated before moving forward with health care reform. “Last night the voters of Massachusetts didn’t just elect a senator, they sent a message to Washington that I have heard all across Colorado — they want their leaders to listen to them and not the special interests. They want us to focus on jobs, on lowering the cost of health care, and holding Wall Street accountable.”
The long-shot win in Massachusetts by Brown has forced the Democrats to regroup, and that provides a perfect opportunity for Bennet to exercise leadership within a Democratic Party badly in need of direction.
Tuesday’s vote was a referendum not only on the health care effort but also on out-of-control government spending, high unemployment and the arrogance of some ruling Democrats. If the most liberal state in the union isn’t going to stand for it, Coloradans won’t either.
Bennet, who faces a 12-point deficit against Republican challenger Jane Norton, needs to repudiate that arrogance and find his independence.
This is Bennet’s chance to show he’s Colorado’s senator, and not just the Democrats’ 60th vote (or 59th now) in the Senate.
Just one year after Democrats watched Obama sworn in as president, it’s hard to believe they’ve lost, by a decisive margin, the Senate seat Ted Kennedy held for nearly five decades. Tuesday’s vote should have Bennet and others very nervous.
Democrats are smart not to force through their reforms before Brown can be seated, but they need to do even more, such as starting over.
We urge Sens. Udall and Bennet to accept the strong message from Massachusetts before Colorado voters tell them it’s too late.