Unplugged: Health Care Public Opinion "Sticky"
He noted that a slipping approval rating was the impetus for the move.
"The president has to do what the president can do and that is to use the bully pulpit to bully Congress" he said of the prime time speech President Obama will give Wednesday.
"Public opinion on this has been very sticky," Ambinder said, "because quite frankly, at this point, not enough Americans trust the president's" handling of the health care.
He argued that the "pre-decisional" period is actually the most important is swaying public opinion of policy. By the time health care was debated in Congress the American public was already "so polarized."
Watch this discussion as well as an interview with documentary producer Joe Berlinger of "Crude" and a review of restaurant week with CBS News' Bill Plante. "Washington Unplugged" appears live on CBSNews.com each weekday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Click here to check out previous episodes.