Five tests of Obama’s mettle

Labor Day in the United States marks an important juncture in the political calendar. It is the time of the year when US lawmakers roll up their sleeves and get down to serious business now that the summer break is over. Yet as eager as President Barack Obama might be to go back to work and get things rolling, he will be faced with at least five major issues, four of which are in the Middle East. The American president’s first major challenge, however, will be a domestic issue and very likely the one to give him greater hassles than the Middle East dossiers he will have to tackle. On the US front, Obama will be kept busy with his plan to convince his fellow Americans that it is time to enact into law a universal health care coverage plan. Indeed, it is hard to believe that the US remains