Make or Break

As House Democrats narrowly got a health care bill passed, one night has made all the difference for President Barack Obama. This has been the cornerstone of the President's agenda, and a defeat would have been a devastating blow to the Obama legacy. The President may say it's not about him, but too much of his own political capital has been invested in this reform package to view it any other way. Assuming the Senate moves quickly on passage, the administration will need to shift the focus to jobs. That is what the American people are most worried about. Some of the extreme reaction from the opposition did not help their cause, including racial epithets at a veteran of the civil rights movement, homophobic attacks on a gay congressman and cries of "baby killer" in the House at the thought of any money going toward abortion. Did the far left get everything they wanted? Far from it. Speaker Nancy Pelosi personified that end of the spectrum, further polarizing sentiments over this very controversial set of reforms. Middle America is just that, and "my way or the highway" was not going to work. Two things give me relief as this package moves forward. First, does anyone not believe health care affordability for the middle class is becoming a thing of the past? Also, while Republicans have been united in their condemnation of these reforms, they have not initiated any clear plans to reverse the crisis since Nixon was President. Let the angry voices tone down. Let the watchdogs keep tabs on how it plays out for our wallets. Let's move on to getting back to work.