Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger thought he had sealed one of the most ambitious health care overhauls in the nation's history. His administration spent months brokering a deal with Republicans, Democrats and divergent interest groups, then watched as it passed the state Assembly with bipartisan support. When the plan went to the Senate, Schwarzenegger thought he had the backing of the Democratic leader, Don Perata. It wasn't long before the painstakingly assembled plan unraveled and lay dead in committee. The official reason for the bill's demise last January was its $14.7 billion price tag and the potential that taxpayers would be on the hook if the plan's funding mechanism didn't deliver as promised. Perata said his rejection of the plan was nothing sinister. The quick and anti-climatic end to such a high-profile policy proposal...
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