Topic: Martha Coakley

The election of Republican Scott Brown to the US Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy is analyzed as political theater. Brown, a former model and state senator, is described as a "clean-cut" alternative to the struggling Obama administration. The hosts question the "common man" meme surrounding Brown and his pickup truck, noting that the founding fathers were actually intellectual elites.

The special election to fill Ted Kennedy's vacant Senate seat in Massachusetts becomes a focal point for the future of healthcare legislation. The hosts explain the history and mechanics of the filibuster and the 60-vote cloture requirement. They highlight a fundraiser for Democratic candidate Martha Coakley hosted by major pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Merck, and Eli Lilly.