Howard's Revenge

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Somewhere, Lyndon Johnson is smiling.  Howard Dean has provided perfect proof of LBJ's adage that when it comes to potential adversaries, "it's better to have them inside the tent p---ing out than outside the tent" doing the reverse.

Barack Obama chucked Dean out of his DNC chairmanship. Adding insult to injury, PBO denied the good doctor any role in his health care initiative. Now, it's payback time.  Subbing for Keith Olbermann on this evening's Countdown, Dean depicted Obama as a loser in the health care fight. For good measure, he flung a famous Obama campaign slogan back in the prez's face.

Here was Dean in his show opening monologue.

HOWARD DEAN: No public option?  No employer mandate? Why bother? Is President Obama slowly losing the health care fight?

Later, chatting with Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chair of the Dem Congressional Campaign Committee, Dean dealt the unkindest cut of all.

DEAN: Chris, voters were promised "change they can believe in."  Are you concerned about what may happen to our party in 2010 or 2012 if we don't get any change at all?

Hitting Obama with a favorite campaign slogan to suggest he might bring down the whole party? Ouch!