but there's a character in the book, mike mcconnell, was the director of national intelligence from 2007 until 2009 in sort of was the chief intelligence professional if you like for president bush. and he is asked at one point someone asked him, how do you define a spy? what does this by do or intelligence professionals rely? he says well, let me put this to you this way. a diplomat is someone who can make you do you go to how we can look for did the trick. it's by someone who can tell you to go to hell and has been mean to delivery day. [laughter] i suppose i probably shouldn't cast down. i reminded people in my business and mentors are your comments comment that has been journalists are right for the newspaper but don't tell my mother. she thinks i play piano in a brothel. [laughter] the last years have been putting this together in shaping the narrative that comes out in the story of the watchers. people always ask me, what is the book about? give us the nutshell of it. and i say well, first and foremost this book is a story. the watchers are five men who have spent much of their car

. >> people like mike mcconnell and other esteemed constitutional protectors have been writing aboutt. looking into the issue, threatening lawsuits, seriously considering what they can do because they feel like they have already been crushed. so many of the states are out of money and we know that will put an extra burden on the states so they feel compelled to challenge this legally. >> they do feel compelled to challenge it legally. the problem is they don't really have a leg to stand on. this is treated like a tax. the government has the right to tax the citizens for what they consider to be our best welfare and while i agree that this isn't the best plan out there, i don't think the states stand a chance. the supreme court has to agree to accept the case. >> but they are bringing healthcare reform under the interstate commerce laws. they are doing it under the interstate commerce clause. >> that starts in federal court, district court. >> you have never been mandated or forced to buy any good or service as a legal condition to be a u.s. citizen. this is a most serious issue. and

we will hear first from senate minority leader mitch mcconnell, followed by mike johanns, and arlen specter the democrats in washington have been focused, some with faye fixated, on making dramatic changes to the american health care system as we know it. the best interests of the public at a time of record unemployment and a need to address jobs and the economy. but what's not open to debate i what is not open to debate is that the plan they came up with is fundamentally flawed. problem with our health care system, which is cost. this is why americans have been telling democrats in washington to scrap their plan and start over, and this is why so many americans are so frustrated with government right now. the administration says we need to pass its health spending bill to show americans that government still works. americans are saying just the opposite. they're saying that the first thing washington can do to show it's working is to listen to what the public is saying: to scrap this bill and to start over. unfortunately, democrat leaders in congress aren't interested. they're still clingi

mcconnell in here last night. the conservatives aren't happy with the republican leadership in congress. he says they're not relevant? >> that surprised me. had my mikealanos been on, you would have heard me yelling. he's right in that in november, and they're going to go with republicans more than they are democrats. the problem for mcconnell, we're saying for bennett and others is the conservatives are going to fight them in the republican primaries. right now they're winning. i credit new york 23 as a win by beating scozzafava. the republican party, if they don't take notice, mcconnell in the senate, they're going to be in big trouble in the primaries. >> how big a deal is that in the sense that the democrats are in charge, the democrat president. it's their health care plan, their economy come november. this tension, how significant is it? >> i think it's going to matter in a case by case basis. in the case of utah, it doesn't matter. there's not a democratic challenger. so that's not as much of an issue. florida could be an issue, just that we're seeing, it's the fight that is taking a toll right now, both on marco rubio and charlie crist. that

mcconnell and chris van hollen. and on cnn's state of the union candy rolly will be talking with mike pence and house democratic caucuschair john larsen. also, california democratic senator diane fine stine. and utah republican orerin hatch. our complete sunday replays of the tv talk shows resume next sunday starting at noon eastern on c-span radio 90.1 fm here on washington, d.c. you can follow us on facebook and twitter. host: more on health care with representative bessra, from california thanks for being with us. what's the final vote count today? guest: we win. what the vote count will be i can't tell you. some of these decisions are made at the last moment. host: who are the key votes? guest: there are members who are doing a lot of soul searching on the issue of abortion, trying to make sure that they believe that we are going to threeve system in place where there are no federal funds used for abortion. there are some people who are trying to make sure that this is a system that will not undually change the system in way that is might hurt their district. and once they have that sense of comfort, we'll see. ho