If I could write Wednesday's Congressional speech for President Obama, I would focus on leadership, vision and a call-to-action.  Why?  Because my 15-year0old daughter campainged from Mr. Obama, and asked to go to Washington D.C. on inaugural weekend rather than have a  sweet 16 party.  She was inspired.  And I was inspired by her.  Toward the end of the election cycle, we spent hours canvassing neighborhoods together to get out the vote. 

Since President Obama has taken office, I've been waiting for him to lead, really lead.  And thus far, I have seen too much fence-sitting and not enough leadership.  Healthcare, no doubt, is an incredibly complex and devisive issue, but it must be tackled or we will all buckle under its weight. 

Rather than leave the specifics to Congress, which simply inspires back-biting and fear-mongering, put a stake in the ground, President Obama.  Pull a Franklin Roosevelt or a Lyndon Johnson or a Ronald Reagan or an Abraham Lincoln.  Make the hard choice and explain to Americans what must happen and why.  Stop running for office just for a little while, and move mountains instead.  You may not get re-elected, but at least you will have accomplished something worth accomplishing.

Rather than play it politcally safe, tell Americans that without a carefuly structured public option, healthcare compaies will have no true incentive to bring down costs, and healthcare will continue to be profitcare for executives and shareholders, not patients.

Explain that we simply must make changes to our medical malpractice system or more and more doctors will be forced to join large practices where they are expected to spend as little time with patients as humanly possible, gynocologists won't take new female patients unless they are older than 40, and doctors will order expensive and often unecessary tests for fear of being sued to the tune of $2 million for nothing more than an infected hangnail. 

Not everyone will agree with your recommendations, of course, but without leadership on this critical issue, we will continue to pay for our unwillingness to make needed changes to our current system.  

President Obama, be the man we campaigned for!  Be the man who inspired more than a million people to descend on Washington to welcome you to the White House.