Scott Brown Defeats Coakley for Senate, Pro-Lifers Applaud Health Care Imapct

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 20, 2010   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Scott Brown Defeats Coakley for Senate, Pro-Lifers Applaud Health Care Imapct

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 20
, 2010

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Scott Brown defeated pro-abortion activist Martha Coakley Tuesday night in a special election for a U.S. Senate seat that became a national expression of disappointment with the pro-abortion health care bill. Leading pro-life advocates applauded the vote because of its impact on the legislation.

Brown led Coakley by 52 percent to 47 percent after 100 percent of the vote was counted from across Massachusetts.

Independent candidate Joseph L. Kennedy, no related to Ted Kennedy, the late pro-abortion senator Brown will replace, received less than one percent of the vote.

Carefully noting that Brown is not pro-life on abortion — though he supports numerous limits on abortion and opposes the pro-abortion health care bill — pro-life advocates said the vote was still tremendously helpful.

Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser told LifeNews.com, "On the heels of last fall’s victories by Bob McDonnell and Chris Christie, Scott Brown’s victory is just the beginning of the consequences Congressional incumbents will face this November."

"Anyone who votes to advance health care legislation that funds abortion on-demand should consider themselves on notice," she promised.

Dannenfelser said the election of Brown was "no accident" and was a ‘sign of the overreach" of pro-abortion President Barack Obama and his allies in Congress on the health care bill.

Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America, agreed and told LifeNews.com that "Obama’s and liberal congressmen’s arrogance cost them something they care about — the Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy."

"Sweetheart deals behind closed doors, passing unread bills, funding abortion groups" — those are all things that Wright says helped Brown.

Ultimately, Wright says the vote is a rejection of the pro-abortion health care bill.

"Today’s vote in Massachusetts was as much about the Obama/Reid/Pelosi regime as it was to select a new senator. The voters in the bluest of states rejected the candidate who supported the latest power grab of ObamaCare," she said.

Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life also chimed in on the results.

"Elections are the answer. Whether the issue is health care, abortion, or anything else, when the people feel powerless to change the minds of those in power, they change those in power," he said in an upbeat response.

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