Did Bo Obama Dampen White House Health Reform?

We all know how hard the negotiations over health reform have been. But what happens when a wet dog gets involved?

President Obama tells PEOPLE he was in the middle of a meeting with Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe the weekend before the Dec. 24 Senate vote on Obama’s health plan, when "suddenly Malia and Bo show up at the Oval Office."

"And they’re just covered in snow," the President recalled in an interview Jan. 8. "And I opened the door and Bo rushes at Senator Snowe—"

"Just to say 'hey,' " First Lady Michelle Obama clarified.

"So Malia and I yell, 'Bo, stop!' And he stopped—sort of like a cartoon—kind of put the brakes on about an inch from her," said the President. "He got her very elegant suit wet."

The next week, Snowe joined with her party and voted against the President’s health bill. Coincidence?

For the rest of PEOPLE’s talk with the President and First Lady about their inaugural year in Washington, look for the new issue on newsstands Friday.

See more of Bo Obama on PEOPLEPets.com:
PHOTO: Bo Makes First Formal Appearance!
Bo Obama Gets the Sweet Treatment for White House Holiday

Sandra Sobieraj Westfall