2009 Obama Administration

The importance of Ted Kennedy's letter and goes far beyond sentimentality. The letter was a handoff, and in his speech Obama seemed to accept the baton.

This was one of the very best Presidential speeches I have ever heard. And more importantly, Barack Obama did everything he needed to do.

Going into tonight's big speech, the question is this: Is the relationship between Obama and the progressive community broken or just bent?

Passing a strong, comprehensive bill, with a public option, through the Senate is eminently doable. Let's look at the actual facts in terms of passing a bill acceptable to most Democrats.

Health care reform will live or die on whether the White House, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid can figure out a way around the massive barrier in the middle of the road, the public option.

The traditional media has talked itself into believing certain things about the fight over health care reform, whether there is any serious evidence beyond their own self-reinforcing stories or not.

There are a lot of folks in the conventional wisdom, establishment-oriented Democratic circles who are trying the sell the argument that reform without a public option is still big, transformational health care reform.

In the Clinton White House, we fought for the most progressive budget bill since 1965. And we did it without a single Republican vote. We are now on the verge of a much greater achievement.

Progressives and the White House need each other to get anything big and important done. It's how big change happens in this country.

The key to Obama's success at this fundamentally critical juncture is whether the President can get his base excited about him again so that they are actively engaged in fighting by his side on the tough battles ahead.

Progressives want, as President Obama does, something to keep the insurance industry honest. If not a public option, what will accomplish that?

Why are certain anonymous White House officials trying to undermine the president on health care? This is exactly what happened in the Clinton fight for health care reform.

I want health care form like a drink of cold water in the desert. But without either a public option or strong rate regulation, health care reform is a nightmare for the public and the federal budget.

Kathleen Sebelius said the public insurance option is not essential, adding to a steadily growing conventional wisdom that the public option is now dead. Not so fast.

One of the fascinating dynamics to this battle is the extent to which Obama seems to be resisting some of his advisers' desire to give up on the public option. This is the Obama we've been waiting for.

To lose now would be a huge setback for Obama's entire presidency, because it will signal to everyone that the kind of change he promised in his campaign has not come to Washington.

The window is closing on financial and health care reform. These are easily the biggest political tests of Obama's presidency, those that will determine whether his presidency is going to be a success.

The insurance companies are really good at writing loopholes for themselves, especially if you announce in advance that you will only pass what they agree to.

After all the health care reform pushing and shoving, threats and counter-threats, deals and counter-deals, after all the negotiating back and forth: so far, so good.

Republicans are never going to deal in good faith, and this idea of a bipartisan health care reform bill is not going to happen.

If the grassroots progressives out-organize the insurance/right wing astroturfers and if Reid and Pelosi put every bit of muscle into winning the fight for real reform, it can still happen.

One thing is absolutely clear from what has happened over the last week in the health care debate: fundamental change has not come to Washington, D.C.

All of us in this fight -- from Obama, Reid, and Pelosi to all of us who are progressive activists -- need to ratchet up the pressure even more than the insurance company lobbyists.

When Obama starts focusing on policies with the simple test -- does it benefit poor and middle class people, or does it benefit Goldman and Morgan? -- he will start getting moving the country's economy forward.