The President's Two Wars

Republicans have been unable to slow the health reform momentum largely created by the President's insistence that a package be prepared before the end of the year (and the beginning of the next year, an election one). The recent Get-In-Big, Get-Out-Fast announcement regarding the war in Afghanistan may have given reform opponents just the opportunity they were looking for. Already, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has stated that there's too much on the agenda to wrap up a unified health reform proposal this year. Citing the 30,000 troop build-up (no one is using the word "surge" for obvious political reasons), Senate Republicans are noting that there's no need to rush the reform package. Behind that logic comes a hope that slowing the bus could ultimately halt the bus... thus leaving the President with two important wars on his hands.