Rep. Patrick Kennedy blamed the George W. Bush administration at a Sunday rally for U.S. Senate candidate Martha Coakley's faltering bid.Coakley is the Democratic candidate for Tuesday's special election in Massachusetts to fill the seat vacated by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. The Republican candidate is Scott Brown.
"If you think there's magic out there and things can be turned around overnight," Patrick Kennedy told the NationalJournal.com, "then you would vote for someone who could promise you that, like Scott Brown."
Kennedy's comments came after President Obama spoke at the rally.
If Brown wins, it might have a major impact on health care reform, which includes taxpayer-funded abortions. Brown has said he'd vote against it, ending the Democrats' filibuster-proof Senate majority. It's possible a version could pass without requiring the 60 votes to break the impasse.
Analysts and lawmakers are taking notice of the close race in the traditionally liberal state.
Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst with Focus on the Family Action, said it may be because Americans are upset by a potential government take over of health care.
"It's no secret that the health care bill is playing a major role in this race," she said. "Americans are very uncomfortable with the direction the White House and Congress are taking on health care, and the idea that Massachusetts could send someone to Washington to potentially slow or even stop the bill is widely appealing."
