A good look at the landscape after the battle does not show President Obama to have too many reasons to feel optimistic. No sooner has he taken his first step, in an act more philanthropic than revolutionary, than he has to face the overwhelming ire of a part of the establishment for whom the poor are not their "fellow man."
Observing it from afar, there are many aspects of the debate over healthcare reform in the United States that, on the face of it, defy comprehension. Why on earth would anyone vociferously oppose a law that makes it harder for the sick to be denied treatment?