One has to feel sympathy for poor Scott Brown. He has been an outstanding public servant, accomplished lawmaker and all-around decent human being. He has earned re-election to the U.S. Senate many times over, yet has to scramble to retain his seat in a close election. 

He has earned a reputation for using independent judgment in a political arena dominated by cutthroat party politics, and in return should be able to enjoy respect from both sides of the aisle. Instead, political leaders he had sought out for collaboration in the service of the common good lined up in a collective effort to replace him with an unqualified, inexperienced and untrustworthy opponent. 

And why, you may ask. Because that opponent has a capital “D” attached to her name, which in Massachusetts makes up for just about any deficiency. Because of that magic letter, which guarantees thousands of unearned votes, Sen. Brown’s colleagues quickly threw him under the bus. So much for bipartisanship in Bay State politics, where fair play, civility and public interest take a backseat to party loyalty.