The political challenge for health law supporters: proving the health law is a success, rather than an SNL skit

For vulnerable House Democrats, the task of blunting criticism of the overhaul is especially important. Meanwhile, House Republicans have a plan to keep playing offense on the issue, with a number of votes planned this week.

Politico: For Hollywood, The Joke's On Obamacare
Obamacare has gone from Hollywood leading lady to comic relief. When the Obamacare exchanges launched last month, celebrities were out front, with everything from nearly topless #GetCovered tweets from young actresses touting affordable care to Funny or Die videos going viral. But since then, amid mounting bad press on everything from the faulty website to the "you can keep it" controversy, Obamacare has become the punch line instead of the star (Kopan, 11/12).

Politico: Obamacare: What Defines Success?
After a month of devastating stories and late-night jokes about the launch of the health care law, the administration needs to convince the public that Obamacare is more than a series of canceled policies and computer hiccups. It's just not clear how the Obama team can convincingly do that, especially now that the early enrollment in the federal website could be as low as 40,000 to 50,000 people, according to the Wall Street Journal -; way below the administration's goal. And it's not just President Barack Obama's reputation that's on the line -; it's every Democrat who's up for re-election in a year, especially the red-state Senate Democrats who are facing the closest races (Nather, 11/12).

The Associated Press: Health Care Law Could Be Liability For Democrats
Rep. Patrick Murphy had been a cautious defender of President Barack Obama's health care law for much of the last year, telling constituents in his swing-voting district that the far-from-perfect measure is critical to helping cover uninsured Americans. Then the new health care law made its disastrous debut. The federal health care website repeatedly crashed, blocking millions from browsing insurance plans. Questions about its security mounted. And cancellation notices hit people who buy their own plans, undercutting the president's vow that those who liked their coverage could keep it (Mishak, 11/11).

The Hill: GOP On ObamaCare Offense
House Republicans hope to keep the White House on the defensive over ObamaCare this week with a vote on legislation allowing people to keep their existing health plans. The GOP has scheduled five healthcare-related hearings over the next three days, each of which is designed to keep the administration on its back foot (Sink, 11/12).