Senator chides Obama on healthcare

Grassley, the top Republican on the Finance Committee, is key to any bipartisan healthcare deal. Using Twitter, the Internet-based social connection service that allows users to send mass text messages called "tweets," the Iowa Republican issued two angry "tweets" yesterday morning as the president wrapped up an overseas tour.

For months Obama had left the details of healthcare legislation to Congress, then inserted himself firmly into the debate in recent days, including using his weekly radio address Saturday to declare "it's time to deliver" on health reform.

Grassley's first tweet: "Pres Obama you got nerve while u sightseeing in Paris to tell us 'time to deliver' on health care. We still on skedul/even workinWKEND."

A short time later: "Pres Obama while u sightseeing in Paris u said 'time to delivr on healthcare' When you are a 'hammer' u think evrything is NAIL I'm no NAIL."

A Grassley spokeswoman verified that the senator was the author of the messages. A White House spokesman had no immediate response yesterday to Grassley's Twitter commentary. His attitude is significant because any hope for bipartisan consensus on healthcare rests on an alliance between Grassley and Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana.