How They Passed Health Care: The Power Of Obama And What Olympia Snowe Really Wanted

Barack Obama, the law professor, was acting like a prosecutor. He'd invited Grassley to the Oval Office, to talk about the senator's concerns. But he was using the occasion to confront Grassley about his latest statements. "Tell me what amendment you want, tell me what language you want," one administration official recalls the president saying. And then, when Grassley couldn't point to anything, the official says the president reminded Grassley that the amendment on end-of-life counseling had come from a Republican, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, and simply paid for professional advice when people wanted it. But Obama's mind was already wandering to the new strategy he'd have to adopt. The first seven months of his presidency had been a test of his belief in civility and bipartisan cooperation. Now, he had the results. They were not encouraging.

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