Dems and GOP just can't learn the lesson of majorities

It was easy to see a mile away. Democrats all giddy with a newly elected president, as well as strong control of the House and Senate, would overstep and upset voters. The Republicans before them did it, that's why they are now in power, and they didn't pay attention. Now they are seeing the consequences.

A lot of Democrats are holding their breath over the Senate election in Massachusetts. Hanging in the balance is a Senate Republican minority who will have enough members to filibuster if their candidate wins. Polls showed him ahead of Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Coakley has been an overwhelming favorite for the seat held by the late Edward Kennedy. But she's been criticized for being too low key, and a dynamic Republican challenger, Scott Brown, has surged in the last days leading up to the election. This has been a liberal Senate seat for so long, it's difficult to imagine it going to someone else. But it looks like it's going to happen.

The reason this is happening isn't because of Republicans or Democrats, other than the base is motivated to vote. The big change are the independents, who don't like the proposed health care reform. And it's those independents that make all the difference, as always.

Independents are who decide most of our elections. That's because neither Republicans nor Democrats are in the majority in America. Obama won with strong independent support and he could lose control of the House and Senate in the next election if the tide doesn't turn back.

What's obvious, though, is that neither party can seem to control themselves when they get in power. They instantly start jamming their platforms down Americans' throats that the majority of people don't want or don't understand. Too many Americans are confused or upset with the proposed health care bills. Even people, who definitely want change, are scared of what's being offered. It's either too expensive, doesn't go far enough, is too laden with pork to buy votes or all of these.

House Democrats in particular deserve the blame for this. A lot of them already are sweating re-election in areas that are closely contested. We just wish both parties would learn that lesson. But they never do.