Throwing down the gauntlet

What does healthcare reform have to do with energy policy, climate change and regulation of the internet?
Perhaps quite a bit more than may appear at first glance.
As President Obama becomes more invested and directly involved in healthcare reform, passage of legislation becomes a direct reflection on his broader legislative agenda.
If the President delivers ObamaCare in the manner he has proposed, he will carry a much larger stick into the battles that follow. If not, he will encounter a much more difficult battle winning Blue Dog Democrats and other moderates in the future.
When President Clinton tackled ambitious health care reform and lost, it crippled his early legislation agenda.
That is why the ongoing behind-the-scenes negotiations are critical no matter what your views on the larger issues.
At stake is not just healthcare reform, as important as that may be.
The political momentum and capital gained from a clear victory may also tilt the scales on key policy issues to follow, including climate change and internet regulation.