What happened to Capuano, Khazei and Pagliuca?

After Martha Coakley won the primary to become the Democratic Candidate for Ted Kennedy's vacant Senate seat, the other Democratic candidates graciously vowed their support for Coakley in the upocoming special election, went home for the holidays and haven't come out since. Their absence is notable. And while it might be construed to demostrate a general lack of support for Coakley, it speaks to a greater issue..the lack of solidarity in the Democratic party.

The Republicans, which seemed to be falling apart after the presidential election, have regrouped and found solidarity in this race. A victory would further emboldened Republicans and would be a slap in the face of Democrats who just recently gained the Presidency and a Supermajority in the Senate.

But before the conservatives get too cocky with themselves, all this gives them at best is the ability to tie things up in Washington. There will still be the minority party, there will still be a Democrat in the White House and the Democrats have just been given the Mother of All Wake Up Calls.

In the next few years we will see the retirements of several Senators, two Democrats and six Republicans.

Senator Dodd of Connecticut. saw the writting on the wall, but  leading the pack for his seat is the  very popular Attorney General of Connecticut, a Democrat. You can bet your bottom dollar that theAG and the Conn. Democratic Party are taking note of this election and will not rest on their early lead and let the Republicans steal the election. The Conn. voters are already frustrated with Joe Leibermans love affair with the Republicans and his joining in their obstructionist agenda.

The Republicans have more to worry about. They have six Senators retiring and it is less likely that they will be able to hold onto all six of those seats than it is the Democrats will lose  another one of theirs.

But with this special election coming in ahead of those regular ones, the Republicans got a extra early shot to gain a pivitol seat and play the spoilers in the Senate untill the next election comes.

We could see the balance  in the Senate shift back and forth over the next few elections, but unless the Republicans can pull off a major coup in the next few years, they will continue to be the minority party and their role will be limited to being obstructionist spoilers and not movers and shakers in Washington.

Even of Obama turns out to be a one term President, and the Republicans regain the White House in 2012, there is going to be alot of partisan bickering and obstructionism and nothings going to get done.

Perhaps if Capuano, Khazei and Pagliuca had lived up to their pledges to support Coakley, this election wouldn't be so tight. Perhaps one of them could have taken Coakley aside and said "Hey Martha, what are you doing? Get out there there campaign till you drop!"

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the other Democratic contenders is right now saying to himself "If I were the nominee, this wouldn't be happening." But they are not doing anything to help either, so if Brown losses, it will not only be Martha's fault, but the fault of the entire Massachusetts Democratic organization.