WHY?:

Obama Faces a Critical Moment for His Presidency (PETER BAKER, 9/07/09, NY Times)

“It goes without saying that a lot is riding now on his ability to re-energize the health care debate and bring it home to a successful conclusion,” said John D. Podesta, who ran Mr. Obama’s transition and still advises him on health care, energy and other issues. “Nothing will influence the perception of the presidency more than whether he can be successful in getting a health care bill through the Congress.”

Why?

It might be helpful if these folks tried saying why it's critical.

After all, the success of the Clinton presidency traces directly to the failure of his health care plan and the election of a Republican Congress. Why shouldn't the same be true for Barack Obama?

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 7, 2009 10:09 AM