Former Democratic National Committee Chairman, and doctor, Howard Dean backed a McKinsey & Co. survey today that found that almost a third of private-sector employers will drop their employee health insurance coverage when Obamacare's government-managed insurance exchanges come online.

Dean told Morning Joe, "The fact is it is very good for small business. There was a McKinsey study, which the Democrats don't like, but I do, and I think its true. Most small businesses are not going to be in the health insurance business anymore after this thing goes into effect."

The reason Democrats fought so hard to dismiss the McKinsey survey when it was released is because its conclusion undermines two major claims Obama made during health care debate: "If you like your health plan, you can keep it" and "It will not add one penny to the deficit."

Fellow Morning Joe guest former New York Gov. George Pataki immediately hit the first point: "The only way its a help is if they drop coverage and their employees would all of a sudden have to go on the exchange, which is what of course the president promised wouldn't happen."

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) premised their Obamacare score on the assumption that only 7 percent of employers would drop their employee health plans. If the percentage is closer to the 30 percent, as the McKinsey survey results predict, Obamacare's price tag would rise by almost $1 trillion.

NEW YORK—Sears Holdings Corp. appears to be readying its venerable Kenmore brand to be sold by other retailers, a step it has already taken with its Craftsman tools and some of its Diehard line of battery products.

According to a LinkedIn job posting, Sears is seeking a chief marketing officer for its appliance line whose responsibilities will include promoting appliance purchases through "external groups," such as Costco Wholesale Corp., which recently struck a deal to carry the Craftsman line.

According to the posting, which was confirmed by Sears, the executive would also "evaluate evolving marketing landscape to identify new, emerging ways to reach current and future target audiences."

An arrangement involving Kenmore would leave Sears with only Land's End as a marquee name that it carries exclusively, and Sears sells that line mainly through catalogs and the Web.

"Could we go external with Kenmore? Potentially yes," said Larry Costello, a Sears spokesman. "When might we is to be determined. It could be months or longer."

Sears appears to be looking for new markets for its Kenmore line of washing machines, refrigerators and other major appliances as it struggles to attract customers to its stores. The retailer's domestic sales have been falling for several years as it keeps losing ground to rivals, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and Kohl's Corp. In the second quarter, Sears's latest reported period, its loss widened more than expected as poor sales and increased discounting weighed on its bottom line.

The risk of selling any brand through others "is cannibalization, with Sears potentially losing even more traffic—something it can ill afford," said Credit Suisse analyst Gary Balter. But, he added, "The Costco customer likely is younger and more affluent."

Earlier this month, Sears began selling its Craftsman line through warehouse clubs operated by Costco. The assortment of Craftsman hand tools, power tools and garage-storage items that Costco offers varies by location. Sears has declined to discuss the deal's financial aspects.

The retailer is majority owned by hedge-fund manager Edward Lampert, and "part of his strategy is that at Sears, "the sum of the parts is worth more than the total," says Paul Swinand, a retail analyst at Morningstar Inc. "Given this, he wants to maximize the value of the brand."

As for Sears's new arrangement with Costco, "It's a good strategy," Mr. Swinand says. "Costco is fairly premium, so their customer bases don't overlap very much."

Last spring, Sears began selling Craftsman through stores operated by Ace Hardware Corp. The arrangement started with 100 pilot locations and has expanded to about 1,000. Sears's Kmart and Orchard Supply Hardware stores also carry the line.

Also last year, Sears's brand-management business announced a trademark-licensing deal with a maker of battery accessories to sell DieHard brand battery chargers, jump starters and other accessories to outside retailers. That accord with Schumacher Electric Corp. didn't include DieHard batteries themselves.