Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself And falls on the other. – William Shakespeare, Macbeth Health care reform has always been extraordinarily difficult in the U.S.—we saw how Bill Clinton fared with it. Big reforms in general are difficult: Bush never managed to address social security reform, tax code reform, or immigration reform which were three of his signature policies over 8 years as President, most of which he enjoyed majorities in Congress. Big change does not come easy. Barack Obama, invoking 1932, is laying out an economic rescue plan that incorporates may huge reforms: health care, education, energy policy, a major shift to addressing global warming, a massive stimulus plan on the order of $500 billion or more on top of the current economic rescue plan, and a bailout of the auto industry with a new omnipotent car czar to single-handedly refashion the American auto sector. A bold agenda, indeed….
