Well, today the Massachusetts Senate moved the country one step closer to getting real and substantial health care reform.
In a 24-16 vote, the Senate agreed with the House to give Governor Patrick the power to fill Kennedy's seat until a special election is held.
The legislation now goes to committee, after which it will be voted on in both chambers. And as the Globe story points out, Patrick could be signing this as early as Wednesday.
From the Boston Globe:
The state Senate passed a bill this afternoon that would allow Governor Deval Patrick to name an interim successor to Edward M. Kennedy, potentially paving the way for appointment of a new US senator later this week.
The Senate approved the measure by a 24-to-16 vote, leaving one final procedural hurdle in both chambers before the bill heads to Patrick's desk. The House and Senate are expected to enact the bill on Wednesday, a formality unlikely to derail the effort.
Patrick has pushed for the bill and could sign it as early as Wednesday. Administration officials have been considering several possible appointees, but have declined to release the names out of concern that such a step could affect the legislative debate.
It looks to me like we could have an interim senator as early as this weekend, which would put the Democratic Senators in a position of being able to go it alone without having to resort to reconciliation.
Sorry for the brevity here, but I thought the news was worth a diary of its own.
UPDATE:
The CSM speculates(among many others) that Dukakis will be the temporary placeholder.
The passage of the bill kicks into overdrive speculation about whom Governor Patrick might appoint to fill Kennedy’s seat.
“The safest choice is [former Gov. Michael] Dukakis,” says Dan Payne, a Massachusetts-based Democratic media consultant. “He will see this race as a capstone, not a steppingstone to his career.”