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Here's my latest "Against the Grain" column on how the health care law is proving to be a poison pill for Democrats, turning a bad election year into a disaster of potential history-making proportions:

The administration's relentless focus on health care last year came at the worst possible time, when most Americans were looking at a scary economic climate and wanted laser-like attention to fixing it. It greatly expanded the scope of government, even though most Americans identify themselves as moderates or conservatives. It helped galvanize a movement, the tea party, that's shaping up to be a force in politics.

This election is not about messaging or money -- it's largely about policy, and in particular, on a far-reaching piece of legislation that has proven deeply unpopular in states and districts across the country. If the White House fails to acknowledge or address the deep and widespread opposition to the law, the president's strategists are going to have a tough time figuring out how to effectively deal with GOP plans to repeal at least some elements of the legislation, which is emerging as a significant part of the Republican agenda in the next Congress.

Read it all here.