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On December 16, 1773, several dozen colonists in Boston, angered by King George’s financially ruinous tea tax, took action into their own hands. Dressed as Mohawk Indians, they snuck onto 3 British tea ships and dumped over 300 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. That revolt was said to have sparked the American Revolution.

Last night, the state of Massachusetts was the site of yet another revolt, only this time it was Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Democratic Party, and President Obama, health care and health care reform that were thrown into the drink, following the stunning election of Republican Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate.

Yet on the eve of the election, the White House suggested to Politico’s Mike Allen that they would not moderate the president’s policies, but in a fit of madness akin to King George’s, would double down and strike a more combative tone.

I have a feeling that over the next few days, the White House will want to talk to Mike Allen and amend their remarks.

As evidenced by the quotes listed below, aside from DCCC chairman Chris Van Hollen’s “blame Bush” comment, most of the President’s loyalists aren’t so anxious for the call to arms:

"Regardless of the outcome ... this should be a gigantic wake-up call to the Democratic Party - that we're not connecting with the needs, the aspirations and the desires of real people right now."
- San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom

"(This election ) is not just the canary in the coal mine," said. "It's the flock of dead ravens landing on the lawn." 
-Wade Randlett, a leading Silicon Valley fundraiser for Obama

"President George W. Bush and House Republicans drove our economy into a ditch and tried to run away from the accident."
- Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland)

“Suspend further votes on health care legislation until Senator-elect Brown is seated.”
-Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.)

"It’s not the end of the world. Look, we can come back to healthcare. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to step back and say, look, we’re going to pivot to do a jobs thing. We’re going to try to include some healthcare pieces in it."
-Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.)

“I have no interest in sugar coating what happened in Massachusetts. There is a lot of anxiety in the country right now. Americans are understandably impatient. The truth is Democrats understand the economic anger voters feel, that’s in large part why we did well in 2006 and 2008.
-Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chmn., DSCC

In response to the tea party protest, King George passed the ‘Coercive Acts,’ which was every bit as punishing as it sounds. Will King Barack respond to the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts with moderation and scrap health care or with madness and shove a coercive bill down America’s collective throats?

Brian W. Doherty is a Fox News producer and writer. He is a veteran of several political campaigns.