Obama takes on his biggest stage

The president will address a joint session of

Congress on health care tomorrow night to

state more specifically what he wants in a

health care reform bill.

Obama will speak on his biggest stage when he addresses the issue of health care in front of a joint session of Congress tomorrow night.

The purpose of the speech is to clear up what he wants in health care reform once and for all.

Critics have said that the problem with the health care debate is that there have been too many opportunities for Obama to speak and too many voices.

"He's now, very late in the game, it appears, maybe going to be a lot more clear about what exactly he wants — and more importantly, what he's willing to fight for," said Tony Fratto, a former spokesman for President George W. Bush, to a MSNBC reporter. "He's going all in from a communications standpoint. The question is whether he's going to go all in on a policy standpoint."

A big part of Obama’s campaign was his promise to have a health care reform bill passed in his first year.

His push to include a government-run healthcare option in the bill was largely opposed by the GOP. That possibility also sparked heated debate at the health care town halls in the past months, too.

Liberal Democrats are now afraid that Obama will compromise with the Republicans and more conservative Democrats by removing the public option just to get a bill passed.

Some critics say Obama’s opponents have misinterpreted his message, but that tomorrow’s speech is his chance to change the “movie” his opponents are watching.

“Opponents of the current reform effort have been hawking a nail-biter of a horror flick: Faceless government bureaucrats take over the health care system, destroy innovation, eliminate choice and empower government “death panels” to decide whether Grandma will live or die,” said Andie Coller, a reporter for politico.com.

Americans have been paying less attention to Obama’s public addresses since his first one on Feb. 9. But analysts say tomorrow’s speech is building anticipation again.

"There are fundamental principles that he believes in," said Obama’s senior adviser David Axelrod to a MSNBC reporter. "He's not dogmatic about how we get there."