Then-Illinois State Senator Barack Obama, shown in a 1999 fi

Then-Illinois State Senator Barack Obama, shown in a 1999 file photo, worked with Democrats, Republicans and especially with police and prosecutors to fashion a bill to overhaul the death-penalty law that all of them could support. By the time it reached the Senate floor, everyone was on board. It passed in a unanimous vote, and is now Illinois law. How Obama did it reveals a lot about his political style, which is at the core of his appeal. It defines an approach to political problem solving that he vows can change how Washington does business. (Photo by Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)