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Libs Turn on Obama Over Reform Effort

Erstwhile supporters jump ship on Obama over health bill

By DANIEL MACHT

| Thursday, Dec 17, 2009 | Updated 8:53 AM EDT

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Former Democratic National Committee chairman and former Gov. Howard Dean said Dems should kill the health care bill.

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President Obama says his allies in Congress are on the “precipice” of passing historic health reform, his top domestic priority.

Too bad a growing number of Obama’s old pals outside the beltway say the president has forfeited or will soon lose their support, and have blanketed the airwaves and twittersphere to say what a disaster Obama's bill is.

"This is an insurance company's dream, this bill," Former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. He urges Dems to kill the legislation and start over. "We've gotten to this stage ... in Washington where passing any bill is a victory, and that's the problem," he said.
“Don’t insult the base by saying that it’s change,” MSNBC’s Ed Schultz said of a bill without a public option. “It’s not change. It’s just, in my opinion, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.”
Schultz’s colleague on MSNBC, Keith Olbermann devoted a nearly 12-minute “Special Comment” to opposing the bill’s mandate to buy health insurance. “This provision must go,” he said, directing his comments to Obama. “It is, above all else, immoral and a betrayal of the people who elected you, Sir. You must now announce that you will veto any bill lacking an option or buy-in, but containing a mandate.”
At least Michael Moore doesn’t blame Obama. The filmmaker holds Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) responsible for screwing up health care reform. “One man stands in the way of universal health care. He's your man, CT. We can't control him. U can. What r u waiting for? Boycott coming,” he tweeted. In case you missed that, Moore just threatened to lead a boycott of the entire state of Connecticut.