As President Obama prepares to give his second speech to a joint session of Congress the question of whether or not health care reform will pass literally hangs in the balance. This is a fact that has not been lost on the White House and yesterday the President met with leaders from Congress to strategize a way to pass this bill by the end of the year. The first step in that strategy is obviously tonight's speech. This is Obama's last ditch effort to reclaim the debate and if the train can't get on the tracks tonight, it's unclear whether it ever will.

Here are four things to look for in the President's speech that may define the debate, and his success, moving forward:

1. Does Obama signal that the White House will write their own bill? - Over the weekend questions arose as to whether this would occur. The WH is clearly in very real negotiations with Olympia Snowe (R-ME) to craft a compromise bill that she could support, but if President Obama writes his own piece of legislation it will instantaneously change the reform effort on Capitol Hill. And, in the opinion of the Newell Campaign, it would shift that reform effort for the better. We hope that the President will stand up tonight and lay out his vision of America's future health care system -- And then deliver that to Congress.

2. How much time does he spend on the offensive? - At this point it is basically a statement of fact to say that August was the worst month of the Obama presidency. Now, he needs to show that August was just a month, not a trend. That is why it is important to look for how often Obama is responding to critics, as opposed to laying out his policy agenda and case for reform. If this speech is simply a high stakes rebuttal, it's going to be a long couple of months for the President. But if he's able to get out on the offensive and recapture the momentum he had several months ago, this will be a critical turning point for him.

3. Will he use reconciliation? - If Obama signals, in any way, that reconciliation is a viable option it could allow the Democrats to cut out their more conservative colleagues entirely and write a bill that the House would actually be proud of. This seems rather unlikely, but we will just have to wait and see.

4. Does the President endorse a "trigger?" - The idea of a trigger seems to be the preferred "bipartisan compromise" these days. Though it is unclear whether a trigger would get the Democrats 60 votes in the Senate, it's still something to look for. This is a concept that is not looked on too favorably by many in the House, but is also considered perhaps the only way to actually get this bill through. Using a trigger, Congress would set certain benchmarks for private insurers to meet over a specific period of time. If they do not reach those benchmarks, then a public option kicks in. We at the Newell for Congress Campaign do not consider that the ideal, but if it gets this bill past it is a worthwhile compromise.

--Newell for Congress Campaign