The sixtieth vote

Incredible. The Senate seat held by Ted Kennedy for 47 years has been taken by Scott Brown, a climate change skeptic and advocate of torture (specifically waterboarding.) Listen to the barrage of clinks as bankers, insurance company execs and big pharma operatives raise their glasses and toast the disappearance of Senate vote #60.

Apparently this upset was brought about by independents who are fed up with everything from the high unemployment numbers to the bank bailouts. Maybe this outcome should not have been such a surprise.

When Brown's win was confirmed, the pending (and very wimpy) health care legislation was instantly pronounced dead. New approaches immediately began to pour out. The House could just accept the Senate version as is before Brown's arrival (but Obama and others have already shot that one down.) Medicare eligibility could be expanded. Health care reform could be done piecemeal .

This could all be so very uncomplicated: Just make Medicare universal.