Heard, minutes ago, that Coakley had conceded, and that Brown had won in Massachusetts. (Note the lack of a final "e" before the s.) So I went to Google News to check coverage, and what is their top story?

Massachusetts race wasn't a referendum on health-care reform

No, of course it wasn't. Not all. Nothing to see here, move along everyone. Forget announcing Brown won: let's go directly into spin mode.

Oh, while we're at it, what brilliant justification does our would-be tourguide to reality provide for his analysis?

The first thing to say is that while those of us who are Washington insiders may be focused on health reform, the country has its mind on lots of other things. First and foremost is a lousy economy that has resulted in lots of lost jobs and lost wealth, a big spike in the federal deficit and big budget shortfalls for state and local governments. Combine that with lousy weather, another terrorist attack, a never-ending war in Afghanistan and an earthquake that may have just killed 200,000 people and you don't have to be George Gallup to figure out that Americans might be in a grumpy mood and might want to take it out on the politicians and parties in power.

Ah yes, the voters (stupid unthinking things that they are) were in a grumpy mood and threw a temper tantrum. Because of, y'know, the bad weather, Haitian earthquake, and all. Without thinking, they took off of work, made their way to the polls, stood in line, and then cast their ballots — all in a blind, unreasoning fit of pique.

This is the exact same narrative that California newspapers trotted out when voters rejected the state's massive spending hikes last year: they're just stupid little two-year-olds, crying and acting out irrationally.

Well, I guess we've been warned what "those of us who are Washington insiders" — as well as their editors at WaPo and Google — think of anyone who doesn't knuckle under and "get with" their latest brilliant program for us.

All sarcasm aside, I *love* the way he closes; you can almost hear him plugging his ears, squinting his eyes, and trying to make the impending reality go away!!!!:

There are lots of reasons other than derailing health reform why normally liberal Massachusetts voters might want to send an angry signal to the state's political establishment....

Sunspots! Vampires! Cosmic rays! Invading alien body snatchers!

For Democrats in Washington, the danger now is not that they will ignore the election returns, but that they will misread them and sound a premature retreat from a historic and game-changing opportunity.

Oh yes — great advice! In a perverse way, I hope Congressional Democrats follow his lead and try every twisted trick they can imagine.