There are many arguments made by democrats who support Coakley or other conservadems in a race against a republican. One of their arguments is actually a rethorical question: How will electing a wingnut republican advance the progressive agenda? This seems like a really good question until you look at how the senate and house work.

My response is simple! The most important vote your senator or represenatative makes is not on a piece of legislation at all. The most import vote they cast is for majority leader. The more conservadems you have in the senate and house the more say they have in who gets to be majority leader.

Coakley’s vote will cancel out Bernie Sanders but Scott Brown has no say in who is elected as majority leader for the democrats. If the democratic party has to use reconciliation to get anything passed we may actually see some progressive bills.

So ask your senator and congressman who they support for majority leader.