Howard Dean, the former Democratic national chairman, blamed Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman today for the failure of the U.S. Senate to open Medicare to younger Americans as part of the health-care reform act passed by Congress.
“Remember who sold you out on health care,” Dean told the Connecticut AFL-CIO at its biennial political convention in Hartford. “We’re not going to forget in 2012.”
“No, we’re not,” someone yelled from the crowd.
Lieberman, who was re-elected as an independent but remains a member of the Democratic caucus, has not said if he will seek re-election to a fifth term in 2012.
Dean, the former presidential candidate and Vermont governor, said Lieberman blocked a provision that would have allowed Americans younger than 65 to buy into Medicare.
Lieberman had no comment, according to a spokeswoman.
The progressive organization Dean founded, Democracy for America, was an early supporter of Ned Lamont in 2006, when he challenged Lieberman over the war in Iraq. DFA is now run by his brother, James Dean.
Howard Dean has remained politically active since stepping down as Democratic chairman. He said he working to elect progressive Democrats to congress.
He put in a plug today for Dan Malloy, who beat Lamont in last week’s Democratic primary for governor.