Reporter's Note: The House of Representatives has passed a version of health care reform, much to the apparent delight of President Obama. Now on to the Senate. Oh sure, he gets to turn the page, but I’m still writing a letter every day to the White House.

Tom Foreman | BIO
AC360° Correspondent

Dear Mr. President,

Among the information I have collected in my life are scads of little bits which are fascinating, but of dubious veracity. For example, I have been led to believe that more high wire walkers die by falling on the final three feet of wire before the platform than anywhere else.

For starters, I’m not sure about the “anywhere else” part. I assume it means anywhere else on the wire. I suppose circus artists are just as susceptible as the rest of us to slipping in the bathtub, or choking on a peach pit, or suffering a tragic accident with a large shipment of tennis balls. Beyond that, I know that the worst high wire accident in history, involving the Flying Wallendas in 1962, happened in the middle of the wire, not at the end. So you can see why I have some doubts on the accuracy of this trivia about the last three feet.

Still, I think of it often when I am engaged in difficult enterprises, because it reminds me: Finish strong; keep concentrating; respect the power of physics; and remind yourself that you can succeed…and you can fail. And in the wake of your House win on health care, you should be thinking, “I did not win big. My party just barely pulled this off, which means the opposition is still formidable. I still have a lot of wire to cover before I safely step onto the platform and pull out my signing pen. And while this may be a show for fans of the political circus, there are real consequences involved, win or lose.”

And frankly, you should be especially wary, because you have not lost nearly as often (in terms of political fights) as many of your colleagues on the Hill have, both Democratic and Republican. They know better than you do how close you can come to victory and still fall short. Just ask you Secretary of State. She’ll tell you that if you don’t make it the last three feet without stumbling, or you have to dive for the platform like an amateur, your days on the wire will be numbered.

On other subjects, I cooked up a wondrous pot of jambalaya this afternoon. The house is full of the smell of andouille, ham, onions, tomatoes, and all the rest bubbling on the stove. Give me a call if you want me to bring by some leftovers.

And did you see my Saints! Wow!

Regards,

Tom

Follow Tom on Twitter @tomforemancnn.

Find more of the Foreman Letters here.