A Make or Break Moment

Greeting Congress just back from summer recess last night was President Obama, giving them an unprecedented one-topic State of the Union style address under the capital dome, designed to save his critically ill health care plan.

Media pundits called it the most important address of the Obama presidency, saying health care reform will die without his taking charge of the patient. But that is a big change from the Administrations earlier decision to avoid the failures of the Clinton administration by letting Congress write the first draft.

In doing so, critics were able to jump on various proposals that smelled a lot like socialized medicine. Issues such as money for abortions, illegal immigrant care and so-called death panels enraged conservatives. He addressed those concerns directly, and no doubt there will be much debate about what was accurate and what was not in his proposal.

But watching the speech, there was little doubt the President is trying to finally take charge of the debate. That to me is something he should have done from the beginning. This Congress is so divided and filled with distortions and outright lies from both fringes of the political divide, that only an effective CEO style form of leadership stands any chance of moderating the debate.

To get health care passed, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown told me today that the President has to take charge of quarterbacking health care reform, or he will watch his dream die a slow death.

"He is in a position where he's being forced to define what he believes to be appropriate content of a health reform measure rather than rely on the Congress to put together one he reacts to", according to Mayor Brown.

Since everyone with a pulse seems to have an opinion on health care reform tell me yours below. The President has spoken, now it's your turn. Just click on "Comments" below.

(Brian Banmiller is a national Business Correspondent for CBS News Radio, free lance writer and public speaker. The former television business news anchor in San Francisco can be reached at brian@banmilleronbusiness.com .)