Shame on You, Massachusetts

I understand Democrat Martha Coakley coasted along in her campaign until she saw the poll numbers and many fault her for that. But Massachusetts has spoken and it's chosen Republican Scott Brown for Senate. Teddy Kennedy? Most definitely twisting in his grave.

Tuna and I were texting about our utter disappointment last night. Massachusetts, the state that led a brand new nation with the Minute Men, created the first public school, the first post office, and the American Navy decides to turn its back on healthcare and other progressive reform and elects a backward conservative? I wasn't even a fan of this concession-ridden healthcare plan by Obama in the first place; working with the Republicans on it had backfired, making it crappy anyhow. Mom's right; Obama should have stuck to his guns and steamrolled ahead without "working with the other side of the aisle" just like the Bush administration did so well. Compromise in this case has gotten us nowhere.

I'm one of the very few and lucky in this economy to be employed and have healthcare insurance. And yet being insured in this country, I spent over 3K dollars out of pocket in addition to what I paid monthly for benefits in 2009. Additionally, with my benefits, unless I use personal and unpaid time off, I will receive 6 weeks of maternity leave. 6 weeks. Six. Weeks. Surely the baby should be able to take care of itself by then, no problem, and not only that, take care of Doodle when I'm at work.

America embarrasses me sometimes.

Okay, more than sometimes. If we can't do anything about healthcare reform right now, can we please, as Americans, promise not be so fat when we go to Europe and wear those dumb white sneakers? I can't take it.