You can only get really unpopular decisions through if the electorate is convinced of the value of the environment. That's what natural history programmes should be for.
Nixon in 1968 unlike Obama 2008 was elected as a minority president with only 43 percent of the vote. Yet in 1972 he won what in some measures was the most lopsided election in American history with 61 percent.
From tea parties to the election in Massachusetts we are witnessing the single greatest political pushback in American history.
In every election in American history both parties have their cliches. The party that has the cliches that ring true wins.
I can support co-ops if they want to do it as we've known co-ops in America for 150 years - where they serve the purposes of the consuming public whether it's health care or whether it's co-ops as we know them in the Midwest providing electricity or to sell supplies to farmer.
We've had Town Hall meetings we've witnessed election after election in which the American people have taken a position on the President's health care bill. And the bottom line is the people don't like this bill. They don't want it.
When elected officials abandon our environment and ruin our natural resources public health is endangered. I know the importance of providing a clean environment for our children I have attended more than one funeral for a child who has died from an asthma attack.
If the states and territories do not sign up to fundamental reform then my message is equally simple: we will take this reform plan to the people at the next election - along with a referendum by or at that same election to give the Australian Government all the power it needs to reform the health system.
Most of the provisions designed to fix what ails our health system don't kick in until 2014 which one wishes administration officials had noticed is two years after he has to win an election.
I think about my parents all the time especially on Sunday when I'm at Mass. My mother always said 'We do not pray to win elections. We pray for people's health we pray that God's will be done we pray that we do our best. But we do not pray to win elections.'