By Nikki Schwab, Washington Whispers
U.S.News & World Report
September 16, 2009

Howard Dean, former Democratic National Committee chairman, minced no words about Sen. Max Baucus's
healthcare proposal, unveiled to the public this morning. "The Baucus
bill is the worst piece of healthcare legislation I've seen in 30
years," Dean said last night at a healthcare town hall and book signing
in Washington. "In fact, it's a $60 billion giveaway to the health
insurance industry every year," he said. "It was written by healthcare
lobbyists, so that's not a surprise. It's an outrage."

The Baucus bill leaves out some of the president's goals for
healthcare reform, such as the controversial public option. While more
palatable to Senate moderates, the Baucus proposal also drew criticism
from Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat from West Virginia, who said yesterday he would not vote for
it in its current form. "I'm glad Senator Rockefeller is not going to
vote for it. I wouldn't vote for it at all under any circumstances,"
Dean added. Instead, Dean said Senate Democrats should and would end up
using the reconciliation process to pass a plan with the public option.
"It can be done, and that's how it will be done," Dean said, pointing
out that a majority of Senate Democrats still support a more robust
bill.

story at USnews.com