In Massachusetts, polls have opened in the closely watched special election to fill the Senate seat held for nearly five decades by the late Ted Kennedy. Up until recently, the state Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley was expected to easily win the race, but the latest polls suggest Republican State Senator Scott Brown could pull out a stunning upset. A Brown victory would deny Democrats the sixtieth vote they need in the Senate to surmount a possible Republican filibuster of the major healthcare reform package, which still needs to be reconciled by the Senate and House. If Brown wins the election, Democratic leaders could press the House to pass the Senate bill without change.