This mandate was originally a Republican idea, and if Republicans had passed this bill liberals would be up in arms over it, as they should be; that Republicans should be up in arms over it because Democrats passed it just shows how party trumps principle these days.
Obama praised the student loan reform attached to the health care bill for "eliminating the middleman"--a clear repudiation of what that bill mandated beyond all sense.
Thanks, Republicans. Back to the drawing board. If you can't offer something better than a public option or (better!) a single payer plan (gasp! socialism!) that eliminates the middlemen (for-profit insurance companies) who've played no small part in skyrocketing health care costs, STFU already.