"

President Obama aims to beat back Scott Brown

President Obama swooped down on Massachusetts yesterday to take on an obscure state senator threatening his entire White House agenda, in a dramatic 11th hour dash to rescue Democrat Martha Coakley as she battles surging Republican Scott Brown in the race for U.S. Senate.

“What Martha’s opponent is preaching, we’ve already tried and it didn’t work,” Obama told the rollicking crowd that filled a Northeastern University gymnasium for Coakley. “Understand what’s at stake here, Massachusetts. It’s whether we’re going backward or forward.”

Although a relative unknown just weeks ago, Brown, who has vowed to be the 41st vote against Obama’s health-care goal, yesterday drew thousands of supporters, who came from as far as Michigan and Washington state to cheer him at a Worcester rally.

"