One of the stark political realities of Ted Kennedy's death is that Senate Democrats' long coveted 60-seat, filibuster-proof majority is on hold for the foreseeable future as Massachusetts voters prepare for a special election to replace the legendary Democratic senator. In truth, Kennedy's infirmity and the long-term absence of Sen. Robert Byrd, in addition to the renegade nature of some of the more moderate elements within the party, have long made the idea of a filibuster-proof majority more theory than reality. But Kennedy's death cements Democrats' inability to push through legislation by sheer force of numbers alone unless, as Kennedy...