Before Scott Brown came along, progressives were ready to kill this bill. After Scott Brown won, Obama suggested in his first media interview since Brown's election that he would push for "incremental" reforms. That was enough to mobilize the progressive community.
After that, virtually all thought-leader progressives, like a flock of starlings, came around to supporting the Senate bill, as incrementally improved by the negotiations with the House. This is because we all came to realize that if we didn't rally around what's available, we'd get nothing. And lo and behold, even Kos came around. Progressives suddenly became the biggest champions of the Senate bill. And, we won.
So, thanks a lot, Scott Brown! You mobilized us. You convinced us that this imperfect, yet ground-breaking, legislation was the best we could expect. And we went for it, in force and in charge. And, we made it happen.
Oh yea, one more thing: fuck you Fox News.