Opinion

White House reality check

Even before Republican Scott Brown shook the political world Tuesday by winning Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat in ultra-blue Massachusetts, Democrats had themselves a new leader: Virginia Sen. Jim Webb.

Not officially, of course.

But no sooner had the polling booths closed than Webb stepped up and singlehandedly made sure his party steered clear of political suicide.

How so?

Webb said it would be wrong to ram through a health-care bill before Brown was sworn in, as some Dems suggested.

He called the Massachusetts race “a referendum not only on health-care reform, but also on the openness and integrity” of government — adding that it’s thus only “fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health-care legislation until Sen.-elect Brown is seated.”

In other words: Don’t double-down on stupid, boys and girls. You’re holding a los ing hand.

Webb’s practical message was clear, too: Even before Brown is seated, Senate Democrats can’t move bills without Webb’s vote, and he made it clear he would withhold it.

Kudos to Webb. And guess what?

By yesterday, President Obama was insisting that any attempt to “jam anything through” was “off the table.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also nodded a bit to reality: “We’re going to wait until the new senator arrives until we do anything more on health care,” he said.

Now, it remains to be seen whether Democrats, particularly Obama, grasp Tuesday’s seismic message: Americans simply don’t want ObamaCare.

Dems yesterday refused to jettison the concept, vowing to find a way to pass some kind of health-care bill.

But what kind?

Ominously, Obama still seems reluctant to truly listen to what Americans say. Indeed, rather than admit the obvious, he actually blamed the Bay State debacle on (get this!): George W. Bush.

“The same thing that swept Scott Brown into office swept me into office,” Obama said. “People are angry [at] what’s happened over the last eight years.”

You’d think the president would have been humbled by Tuesday’s outcome.

Not Obama, who clearly is feeling more than a little sorry for himself.

May we suggest that he call Jim Webb over for a reality check, and listen closely to the wise man’s words?

He’ll save himself a world of hurt.