As I write this, former President Bill Clinton is back in the spotlight after a special mission to North Korea where he won the release of two American journalists. It made me think back on the Clinton years and the good work he did on the economy. It’s easy to get nostalgic about the Clinton presidency, especially when we’re living through a recession brought on by the excesses of the Bush years.


Aside from his moral lapses, Clinton had one major failure: the inability to reform our health care system. Bill and Hillary (who led the health care fight) are two smart cookies; tough too. But they underestimated the forces arrayed against them. Remember those Harry and Louise ads put out by the insurance industry?


Now, Barack Obama steps into the ring for his heavyweight fight to win health care reform. Like any heavyweight bout it won’t be easy because there’s a lot of money involved.


As the battle played out in Congress this summer, it seemed that the forces blocking reform were subtler than they were 15 years ago. Most people agreed reform was needed – our economy can’t keep spending more and more on health care, as we do now. We spend much more than other industrialized countries, such as Western Europe and Japan, yet score lower on common yardsticks of overall health.


Recently, the debate on health care turned nasty. Phony grassroots groups, spurred on by the right-wing radio talkers, are waging a campaign of disruption and misinformation.


I think President Obama understands this is no longer a polite law school debate. To fight back, he has been hitting the stump to counter the lies opponents have been spreading about health care reform.


“If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan,” the President told a gathering in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. “You will not be waiting in any lines. This is not about putting the government in charge of your health insurance.”


While the labor movement supports Obama’s efforts, we must make sure that he and Congress do not back down on key reform principles, such as:


Bill Clinton never got a second chance on health care reform, and I don’t know if Obama will either. It’s up to us to stand behind the President and make sure reform gets done right this time around.


We have an important role to play in this crucial debate. If we stand on the sidelines, the politics of disruption, dissension and misinformation will determine the outcome of healthcare reform. Or, we can get in the game by educating, mobilizing and encouraging our members, neighbors, friends and community to ensure that they have all of the facts. The health of our nation is at stake!