SENATOR TED KENNEDY'S 47 YEAR-OLD SEAT, BUNGLED BY THE DEMOCRATS!

It is shocking, disappointing, unbelievable, unacceptable, regrettable and unforgivable that the Democratic Party would stand literally hands akimbo and watch the seat held by late Senator Ted Kennedy for 47 long years, lost to the Republicans; and technically a light-weight Republican for that matter? Icheoku says, Uncle Ted does not deserve to lose his seat so soon after his death last August of brain cancer? He must be reeling in his grave at this spite on the nose by his Democratic Party, knowing fully well that they did not do all they could have done to keep his seat blue and democratic! A loss caused primarily by the apparent lacklustre performance and seeming abandonment of his cause which led to the 180 degrees turn by the voters of Massachusetts?

The question is why; and what explanation does the Democratic Party have for losing this somewhat very secured seat in Massachusetts of all places? If this is the way they repaid Ted for all his fights and struggles as a veteran Democrat of 47 years and counting; then many of us need to do some rethinking about our membership of a party with no real back-bones and which is easily outflanked and out-foxed by the other guys? A Democratic Party that occupies the White House, controls both the Senate and the House of Assembly as well as Massachusetts State governor's office and majority of the legislators, have no excuse to give for losing this Kennedy's very important seat. Why were all the stops not pulled, if not for the candidate, may be for the memory of Late Senator Ted Kennedy and as a continuum for his legacy? Icheoku does not get it, nor will ever make any attempt at understanding this avoidable loss; and as consequence thereof, will consider placing itself for now, on a Democratic Party's "DO NOT CALL" list? No more solicitation of funds of any kind from or by me until the current trend which saw the party lose New Jersey, Virginia and now Ted Kennedy's senate seat in Massachusetts is changed. How can a party that every one worked their hearts out for just less than a year ago, now become this complacent and not feisty enough to fight for every seat in the land until the whole country becomes fully 'democratised?' What is wrong in a 100 seat Democratic seats in the United States Senate? Or even a 49 out of 50 governorship majority? What about 93% Democratic controlled House of Representatives? More is always better and only an arrogant party will go to sleep thinking that the work which started in 2006 has now been completed with their control of three tiers of government? Why is this party not fully aware that the other guys are not sleeping but are pulling all the stops until they reclaim their coveted trophies?

The panacea and to prevent future situations, the leadership of the party must come together to find out what is eroding their hold on the American polity? If it is message, then change or fine-tune it? If leadership, then change it? If Rush Limbaugh, rein him in, or get his match to counter his propaganda? If candidates, then adopt Rahm Emanuel's tactics of giving the voters who they would rather vote for? So where were liberal Democrats for Massachusetts? Just do something; otherwise the current trajectory might see President Barack Obama becoming only a one-term president, serving only one four years term in office? Where has all the magic of "YES WE CAN" gone to so soon after the political tsunami that swept away the Republican Party out of office and out of contention? Remember it is not yet too late for the democrats, and if the Republicans can begin to turn the tide around within such a short period of time since they left office, then the Democrats can still do something to get back their mojo. If it means replacing the current power-bearers of the party, so be it; but the people wants to see something done to stem the current tide which have seen the Democrats losing so many important contests. Icheoku believes the problem is not specifically with the agenda or the health care reform; but that President Obama's team may not afterall be what the doctor ordered; they may not all be fully loyal to him and in tandem with prosecuting his agenda? Irrespective of all the facades of camaraderie, Icheoku says, it is possible that personalities still loyal to the other primary election candidate may be undermining President Obama and not advising him properly in order to make him vulnerable during 2012 primaries? Just a penny for your thoughts!

After all the arm twisting that was done at the senate to secure the 60 votes, it is rather shocking that the party will stand and watch their one assured vote of the 60 just fly out the window and in Massachusetts? Admitted that nothing good comes easy, we are convinced that the health care reform is a good cause, hence the untiring fight by some interest group to thwart and sabotage the effort and at all cost possible. If ithe health care reform wasn't reformatory, why the frenzied interest by special interests; except their nests will be pruned and they do not want any of that. Democrats must therefore boldly bond together to ensure that this health care reform bill sails through, and then gear up on other party's agenda, knowing the fight the Republicans will now bring alongside with their 41 to 59 rabble-rouser of senate seats. So all the blame games over who did what to cause the Massachusetts election disaster must stop immediately and a game plan marshaled out for the future course of the party. There is already enough blame to go round for the loss of Senator Ted Kennedy's seat, from President Barack Obama, to Harry Reid, to Nancy Pelosi, to John Kerry to Patrick Duval, to the party chairman, to the foot-soldier democrat etc; the whole nine yards are all answerable to the country and to the late Ted Kennedy for sleeping on duty while his seat slipped to the Republicans.

Icheoku had always known that the candidate was not a good Ted Kennedy's look-alike or replacement as she does not possess the personality of the late senator? With her matronly look, the now also ran, dubbed Massachusetts version of German's Angela Merkel, the senator wanna-be, Martha Coakley, did not do the senate seat fight any good by not presenting the image of a fighter, which Uncle Ted represented all through his 47 years in the United States Senate. She was rather docile and somewhat not inspiring enough to make the people want to troop out for her, come rain come snow or shine? The turn out of under 2 million people when considered with the number of registered voters therein, then peoples apathy had much to do with the loss rather than the other guy's ability? And why were the people not motivated, one may ask; leading to the answer, because Martha Coakley was nothing closely resembling their beloved late Senator Ted Kennedy? She was not a shoe-in or as amiable, so Kennedy was missing in the Coakley and game over it was. The Kennedy brand was not found in Martha and end of story. This is the bitter lesson the Democrats high-ups must now learn and exploit same with their future nominations and primaries, in order to curb the erosion currently doing overtime on the party. As a sport, may Icheoku now congratulates the freshman senator-elect from the State of Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown, who is now headed to Washington to occupy Late Ted Kennedy's 47 year old senate seat! Lets us pray that he does not find it too onerous a task, or too big a seat, far greater and more challenging than tooling around in his truck! But what an anniversary present for President Barack Obama as he marks his first full year in office:- a Republican Brown's 52 percent over Democrat Coakley's 47 percent election upset over Late Ted Kennedy's senate seat? Once again it has been shown that a disappointed Democrats and an uneasy Independents are usually NOT a GOOD combination for the Democratic Party!