Effort to replace Kennedy hits snag

Good news.

"If Patrick were forced to wait 90 days, the appointment wouldn’t come until less than a month before a full-time successor is set to be chosen in a Jan. 19 special election. The bill needed a two-thirds majority in each heavily Democratic chamber in order for the law to go into effect immediately, but a significant number of Democrats joined Republicans in opposing the change.

Patrick's decision could be tempered by the fact that he has one of the lowest approval ratings of any well-known politician — 19 percent, in one survey — and faces a difficult reelection race next year. "