Free Republic

<p>Reid is trying to do cram through, he has his 60. But what if, that is the question. Their is a special election in Massachusetts on 01/19/2010. What if their internals are so bad that a Republican has a chance to win Teddy Kennedy's seat? What if Scott Brown actually wins in Massachusetts? Tangential to this is the age and health of Senator Byrd. These are two risks that could delay their 60 vote fillibuster proof majority. One by going back to 59 if Brown wins, and the other is all the issues that would occur if Byrd's health failed or worse, note we wish him well, but at 95 if my memory is correct, he has been in better health. I look forward to Freepers' thoughts on this.</p>

State Treasurer Tim Cahill this week will change his political party designation from Democrat to unenrolled, the first step in mounting an independent challenge to Democratic governor Deval Patrick in the 2010 general election, two advisers said today. Cahill, a lifelong Democrat who has served as treasurer since 2003, would not comment on his plans, but campaign advisers said he will make the switch at Quincy City Hall sometime this week. They said the move doesn't necessarily mean he will run against the sitting governor; he has told them he will either campaign for governor or treasurer as an independent...

This week, the Supreme Court handed down a decision that allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles. The Bush Administration and the EPA argued that they do not have the authority to regulate emissions, and even if they did, this was not the right time to do so. However, the court decided not to defer to the government this time, stirring up several important fundamental issues. First, what is the role of government in protecting the environment? As Milton Friedman would say, government should ensure that one individual's freedom does not hamper another individual's...