The AP has called the race, and AG Martha Coakley has conceded.

The Democrats fielded a lackluster candidate against a background of growing dissatisfaction with a Democratic Congress and Presidency, and ran a weak, halfassed campaign.  That should have meant a close race — but it took a really spectacular failure of tactics and strategy to produce this outcome.

State Senator Scott Brown is an anti-choice, pro-torture, pro-war, teabagger and proto-Birther, who promised from the beginning of his campaign to be “the 41st vote” in the Senate, i.e. to march in lockstep with the Republican party leadership no matter what’s right, what’s good for the country, or what the voters of Massachusetts actually want, just like every Republican (excluding Arlen Specter and including Joe Lieberman) does.

And now he’s the next United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Now he holds the seat that Ted Kennedy held for nearly half a century.

I can only assume that Senator-Elect Brown’s first order of business, after delivering what I fear will be a smug, gloating victory speech tonight, will be to rush to DC, visit Arlington National Cemetery, and there, twice — once for himself, and once carrying out the will of the majority of Massachusetts voters as expressed at the polls — spit on Teddy’s grave.

I’m sorry, Senator Kennedy.  It’s a disgrace to your memory, and will inevitably redound to the misfortune of our state and our country.

Massachusetts Democrats, AG Coakley, assorted strategists — this was your race to lose, and lose it you did.  A wet paper bag should have been able to beat Scott Brown (Scott Brown of all people!) in this race by at least ten points, so long as that bag had a “D” after its name.  You are a disgrace.

To the rest of the country, I am sorry.  The Democratic supermajority in the Senate wasn’t really doing a lot of good, but I suspect Brown — new whizkid celebrity for the Republicans that he’s certain to be — will be able to do a lot of harm.

Mr. Brown, you’ve won the election: you’ll be my Senator.  I accept that, but I sure don’t have to like it, and I will fight like hell to see you ousted in 2012.  You do not deserve that seat.

And now, if you’ll all excuse me, I have an appointment with a gentleman from Knob Creek.