In the 1995 film "The American President", writer Aaron Sorkin penned a line for Michael J. Fox's character to deliver to the fictitious president of the United States...

"People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand."

I can think of no better way to encapsulate the health care reform debate in the United States.

There is no doubt that Progressives have lost the first round of the health care debate - mostly because there hasn't been one. A carnival of idiots standing outside of town hall meetings regurgitation health insurance industry talking points and screaming at lawmakers is not a debate - it's a monopolization of the conversation. Nevertheless, President Obama and this team allowed this to happen due in part to their inability to lead on the issue.

In the absence of strong presidential leadership on health care reform, the opposition stepped up to the mic. The first people to grab the microphone were the health industry PR firms, right-wing radio and Fox News - followed shortly thereafter by protesters and the rest of the television networks. Now the interests of those most invested in seeing reform die saturate the airwaves. Their plan to gain control of the debate worked perfectly.

First the malleable minds of those on the far right were corrupted by health insurance industry propaganda. When the least stable in that group began to freak out by this disinformation, they made public outbursts which a ratings conscience media happily covered. By covering these temper tantrums, the media gave exposure to the propaganda which provoked it. A vicious circle started - as more people heard the disinformation provoking the protests, more people believed it. Those people then joined the protests and the media continued to cover it.

All the while President Obama and his team were not making a strong enough argument for reform. No leadership came from the White House, so the American people found it elsewhere.

This must end now. It's time to fight back. Hard.

The American people need to hear that health care reform will happen. Not might happen, will happen. They need hear that the fears of the opposition are rooted in lies, distortions and propaganda originating from the health care industry and repeated by a complacent media more interested in sensationalizing the debate than having one. The people need to hear how the proposed reform will directly benefit them. They need to hear all these things starting with President Obama, ending with progressive bloggers and emanating from the mouths of every single senator, congressman and pundit in between.

Right now the American people believe health care reform can be derailed. They believe the status quo is acceptable and reform is unnecessary. They're subjected to a daily bombardment disinformation like care rationing, government takeover, forced abortions and the absurd-if-it-wan't-believed "death panel"/euthanasia notion. The average American citizen has been given plethora of questionable reasons why reform will harm them and few accurate rationalizations as to how reform can and will make their lives better.

This has to change. Now.

For health care reform to pass, President Obama must, in short, grow a pair. It's time to toughen up, make a firm stance against the opposition and reclaim the debate. He must go beyond fighting back - he needs to go on the offensive and reveal exactly what the insurance industry has done and will continue to do to obstruct reform. Then he has to lay into the media for focusing on the sensationalism of the protests and not calling out the bullshit reasons behind them. Finally, he needs to give a reality check to the protesters themselves.

Only then will the people on the fence take Obama seriously again. Only when he finds the passion needed to lead the fight.