Sentences She'd Like to Have Back, Mass. Special Election Edition

Reporter Abby Goodnough (and Times Watch, alas) on the next Senator from Massachusetts, Martha Coakley.

"Now poised to become the first female senator from Massachusetts, Ms. Coakley, 56, is seen as a highly disciplined, if not passionate, politician who rarely surprises or missteps." - Reporter Abby Goodnough, December 10.

"A Brown win remains improbable, given that Democrats outnumber Republicans by 3 to 1 in the state and that Ms. Coakley, the state's attorney general, has far more name recognition, money and organizational support." - Abby Goodnough, January 8.

And in the interest of balance, another assumption gone awry:

"After Martha Coakley's win in the Massachusetts Democratic primary virtually assured she would fill the seat of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy..." - Clay Waters, Times Watch, December 11.