The Christian Science Monitor has slightly interesting piece on the Democrats’s potential backup plans should Brown beat Coakley in this wildly entertaining but too-close-to-call Senatorial special election.

The Czar agrees with the author, Peter Grier, that these are basically the three options, but is not so ambiguous as to the pros and cons Mr. Grier provides.

1. Demand immediate finalization of the bill and vote on it before Brown gets sworn in. This is possible, yes, but unlikely. There is apparently too much left to settle, and the CBO still needs review it, which will take time. By that point, Brown will be in—and all signs point to him being sworn in and a voting Senator by that point. Basically, the Democrats screwed themselves by writing too big of a bill, that appealed to too many special interests and involved too much money.

2. Drop the House version and vote on the Senate version. This is doable, but will be a political disaster for the Democrats on an epic scale (more so than Mr. Grier hints). Think 2010 looks bad for Democrats now? Additionally, rumor has it that Senate Democrats are openly opposed to such a move for their own political self-interests.

3. Reconciliation. This is the second time this has come up. And it never went through the first time because it will not work. By carving up the bill into so many pieces—only to vote on budgetary elements and discarding the rest—will be a massive undertaking that will totally undo any Democratic work done to date…by the time this happens, Brown would already be working on his re-election plans.

Basically, the Democrats need Coakley to win, and the GOP needs Brown to win. That, really, is the only possibility for either party.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.