Howard Dean works for a big corporate law firm in Washington, D.C.

McKenna Long & Aldridge.

Dean is a shill for the biotech industry.

One big McKenna Long client?

CIGNA — one of the big five health insurance giants.

A single payer national health insurance system would put CIGNA out of business.

Dean is currently touring the country promoting his new book: Howard Dean’s Prescription for Real Health Care Reform.

Single payer activists have been confronting Dean around the country.

Pointing out his corporate connections.

And the fact that his — and the Democrats’ — failed strategy will continue to cost the nation 60 American lives a day.

That’s the number of Americans who die every day from lack of health insurance.

It got ugly Saturday in Portland at Powell’s Book Store.

Single Payer Action’s Philip Kauffman and Jim Ferner confronted Dean during his book presentation at Powell’s.

What about single payer? Ferner asked.

“Be quiet until the question period,” Dean shot back. “If not, I’d be very happy to get security to show you out.”

Dean proceeded on with this lies about the Obama plan carrying a robust public option — which it clearly doesn’t.

“The thing I love about Obama’s plan is it gives the American people a choice between a public option and what they already have,” Dean said.

Ferner again challenged Dean.

The public option wouldn’t get the job done — it would cost way too much and not cover everyone.

Only single payer controls costs, covers everyone and pays for itself.

At this point, Powell’s security showed Ferner the door.

Dean then referred to the testimony of Wendell Potter, the former CIGNA exec who quit to expose industry shenanigans.

At this point, Kauffman interrupted Dean again and asked why he’s working for McKenna Long — which represents CIGNA.

Dean responded that he didn’t do any work directly for CIGNA.

Then Dean got angry.

“Would somebody get this guy out of here — he’s just a big pain the in butt,” Dean said.

“Really — you’re just a jerk,” Dean said.

“I was led out quickly by two store managers,” Kauffman told Single Payer Action.

Kauffman left the store imploring the crowd to look into Dean’s record.

At the beginning of the event, Kauffman and Ferner handed out an article from Single Payer Action reporting that Dr. David Himmelstein called Dean a liar for saying that the Obama public option was like Medicare.

It’s not.

“Dean is lying to you — read the information, Wake up America!” Kauffman said.

Kauffman was told that he was banned from the store for “interrupting store operations.”