President Obama's health care agenda is now threatened by the election of Republican Scott Brown in the special election to fill the late Senator Ted Kennedy's vacant seat.
    Brown, who announced his bid for the seat in early September, ran a campaign targeting independent and republican middle-class voters. Coakley, the attorney general for Massachusetts, enjoyed high poll numbers early in the campaign. Many political scientists say the turning point in the campaign was when Brown stated the seat was “the people’s seat,” and not Ted Kennedy’s seat. 
    Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that health care was not the only issue on voter’s minds. Gibbs also tried to subdue the political finger pointing within the democrats that occurred Wednesday morning. “The president did not expect to lose that senate race,” Gibbs said, “Everyone bears some responsibility, including the White House.” 
    Some elections go your way, some elections go the other way; it is the nature of democratic politics,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on the senate floor Wednesday, “regardless of an election, the American people demand that we work together as partners not partisans.”
    The health care bill, now in conference committee, is in a stalemate. Once Brown is seated, the republicans have enough votes for a filibuster, or to block and delay the bill from reaching a vote. “I will certainly look at the bill, but I’m not in favor of higher taxes, affecting medical care for veterans, and basically having a one size fits all,” said Brown, referring to the senate bill. 
    Many democrats and republicans have warned against passing any health care legislation before Brown is seated. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned that the house will not support the more conservative Senate bill. “I don’t think it’s possible to pass this senate bill in the house,” said Pelosi.