By now you know that the Massachusetts Senate Seat formerly held by the late Ted Kennedy was won in a special election by Republican Scott Brown Tuesday, as he defeated Democrat Martha Coakley.  Brown becomes the first Republican to win a Senate seat in Massachusetts since 1972.  With the victory by Brown, Democrats lose their 60-vote supermajority in the Senate. 

Today I have read several stories regarding the reaction on the part of some Democrats to the election.  And one can certainly infer from some of the comments that these politicians are as out of touch as can be with the American people.

For example:

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) said Democrats can't just assume voters will be with them.  Hello Patrick!  Why would you possibly assume that?   Have you not been paying attention?  People are sick and tired of the nonsense coming out of Washington.

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) said he hoped Tuesday night's election would be a "wake-up call" for his party.  He also said, "People weren't aware of the type of anxiety that was out there in 1994, but I think everyone is aware of it now."  In referencing 1994, he was alluding to the year that Republicans took back control of the House and Senate for the first time in 40 years.  Hey Tim, the wake-up call should've come last summer when people were screaming in anger at politicians at the town hall meetings. 

Others have been brushing off Brown's victory by claiming Coakley was simply a weak candidate and ran a bad campaign.  Those folks appear to be in a state of denial.

Judging by these comments, it's clear to me  just how out of touch these people are.  Were they not paying attention to the tea parties and the outrage at the town hall meetings over the summer?  Did they never glance at the polls, which have consistently shown the vast majority of people are opposed to the health care overhaul?

Some, though, have apparently seen the light.  Virginia Democratic Senator Jim Webb called the Brown victory a "referendum" on health reform and took a swipe at his own party's leadership by calling for more transparency in the process.  In a statement, Webb said, "I believe it would only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health care legislation until Senator-elect Brown is seated."

I think Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn summed it up nicely by declaring, "Democrats nationwide should be on notice:  Americans are ready to hold the party in power accountable for their irresponsible spending and out of touch agenda, and they're ready for real change in Washington."  I would add that ALL politicians, regardless of party affiliation, should be on notice.

This isn't rocket science.  Bottom line is that politicians need to start listening to the American people.  Period.