"DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN" - pt. 2

In a repeat of another big American election-related faux pas, The Boston Globe ran an online headline earlier today reminiscent of The Chicago Tribune's premature political obituary.

Just as Give 'em Hell Harry did to his opponent in 1948, GOP candidate Scott Brown thumped his opponent in Massachusetts' U.S. Senate special election - despite the news media's insistence otherwise.

When all was said and done, the onetime underdog handily beat state attorney general Martha Coakley - one of the worst campaigners in modern American political history. Evah.

Just a few weeks ago, Brown trailed the heavily favored Democrat by double digits, but by the time Coakley surrendered tonight, the GOP upstart had won big (6 points-plus at "press time").

Ooops!

Massachusetts, a "blue-blue" state, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 3-1, not only failed to support Coakley, but more than 20 percent cast ballots for Brown. In retrospect, Coakley is coming under intense criticism for running a campaign that not only failed to address the largest concerns of voters - namely jobs and the economy - but she ran headlong to embrace President Barack Obama's health insurance reform plan - this at a time when Americans -and Bay Staters - are rejecting the proposal in growing numbers.

While Brown's election means the GOP now has filibuster power in the Senate, it's unclear as to whether Democrats will ramrod the Senate's version of the bill through the House - unchanged - as suggested by Speaker Nancy Pelosi(D). Regardless, on a whole host of other issues Brown now represents the chief stumbling block - the 41st vote against Obama's agenda.

The victor: U.S. Sen.-elect Scott Brown (R-Mass.)...

Brown, who will finish out the remaining two years in the late Edward M. Kennedy's term, is one of three Republicans (including the governors of New Jersey and Virginia) elected in the afterglow of Obama's inauguration last January.

These results have Democrat pollsters, pundits, party members and incumbents rightfully worried about the coming mid-term elections...not to mention a president with a severely weakened ability to now bring about the second half of "Hope & Change."

Brown's victory speech...