Coakley: “You can have religious freedom but you probably shouldn't work in the emergency room”  —  Last evening, while on Broadside with Jim Braude, I told Jim that Scott Brown was trying to prevent Nuns like the Sisters of Charity that taught me from performing medical procedures contrary to their religious beliefs.

3rd-Party Candidate Named Kennedy Could Tip Senate Race in Massachusetts  —  SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — In most elections, a politician calling himself the Tea Party candidate would cheer Democrats, raising hopes that he would siphon votes from Republicans by attracting some of the disaffected anti-Washington, anti-Obama electorate.

On Massachusetts....  I wrote a column last week in which I dismissed the chances of Republican Scott Brown actually winning next Tuesday's Senate special election in Massachusetts.  The race would be close, I figured — 53-47 for Coakley, or something like that — but the state's blue tint would be just enough to save the Democrats.

MA Senate moved to Toss-Up  —  Democratic desperation and other compelling evidence strongly suggest that Democrats may well lose the late Senator Edward Kennedy's Senate seat in Tuesday's special election.  Because of this, we are moving our rating of the race from Narrow Advantage for the Incumbent Party to Toss-Up.

Yes it sucks.  Yes you have to vote Coakley.  —  Let's get this out of the way.  You might not want to vote for Martha Coakley.  You might think she deserves what's she's getting after an absentee, self-satisfied campaign (why should I bail her out?).  You likely want to send a message …

Suffolk U. poll: Brown up by 4  —  A Suffolk University poll released Thursday evening shows Republican Scott Brown four points ahead of Democrat Martha Coakley as he continues his improbable surge in the Massachusetts Senate special election.  —  The poll reports Brown is leading Coakley …