On to Congress

As I posted a few days back that it was time for the Senate Finance Committee to vote on a health care reform proposal, well they have and the verdict is… it passed!! It was even passed with the support of Republican Olympia Snowe, do I see the end of the partisan divide in congress…that may be too optimistic. Since they have passed the bill it is now heading to the congressional floor where there will be more challenges to face and it’s not going to be pretty. Since the future is unclear for the bill, what needs to occur for its success?

One major factor contributing to its future is based on the actions of its main supporter, President Obama. Since he first introduced his motives and plans to congress and the American people, he has made a great effort to clarify and further his goals for health care reform. Now is the time, more than ever, to motivate not only the representatives and the senators but the entire nation. It is necessary for him to prove the necessity of this bill at this time and declare it essential to leave partisanship and self-interest behind. He must advocate unity by working with the two parities but should not be too lenient to a specific party's demands. Most importantly he must know specifically what he is seeking to accomplish in order to properly lead congress and the people. The time has come, as Chris Matthews would say, for the president to play hardball.