The Great Society, Redux

Barack "SexyBack" Obama is out in front on one of the most important issues facing America today. Speaking at a FamiliesUSA conference this morning, the junior Senator from Illinois set the goal for his Presidency of getting the over 46 million uninsured citizens of the U.S. on the health care rolls by the time his first term in office comes to an end in 2013. Universal Health Care is the first step in providing for our citizens in this country. If we are the greatest, most powerful country in the world, then there is no reason at all why 46 million people should not have access to a doctor. Diseases which are eminently treatable instead become life-threatening because people are denied access to hospitals, and wait to long to receive treatment. It's simply wrong, and Senator Obama knows it, and that is why he has set this lofty goal, and that is why I congratulate him for his courage and his vision.

Furthermore, every other candidate in the race on the Democratic side should get behind this plan immediately. Let's not have the divisiveness and utter lack of policy maturation that we had in 2004. Let us, each of us, as Democrats pledge right here that whomever wins back the White House in 2008 for the party of the people, that it will be our unique undertaking to begin the process of making America better once again, and that we will start by providing health care to all of our citizens by 2013. It can be done. It should be done. Let us say, it must be done.