President Obama made a last-ditch effort to resurrect the candidacy of a struggling Democrat who could provide him a critical Senate vote for healthcare reform. Obama urged Massachusetts voters to send state Attorney General Martha Coakley to the U.S. Senate to succeed the late Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) in a close race that has taken on national implications. An upset victory by state Sen. Scott Brown (R) would give Senate Republicans 41 votes, enough potentially to scuttle the healthcare legislation, the Washington Post reports.
