Democrats' campaign plan: Confront health law issues, challenge GOP's stance

Democratic Party strategists urge candidates to talk about their ideas on how to fix the law and to assert that the Republicans' plans would make problems worse.

Politico: Dems' New 2014 Plan: Neutralize Obamacare
Democrats know their biggest problem in this year's midterm election is Obamacare. So top party operatives have settled on a strategy to try blunting the GOP's advantage: Tell voters Republicans would make the problem worse -; raising prescription drug prices, empowering insurance companies and even endangering domestic violence victims. The battle plan, details of which were in a memo obtained by POLITICO, recognizes the unpopularity of the Affordable Care Act. But it also banks on voter fatigue with the GOP's relentless demands for repeal and counts on poll-backed data that show many Americans would rather fix Obamacare's problems than scrap it altogether (Hohmann, 2/16).

The New York Times: On Health Act, Democrats Run To Mend What G.O.P. Aims To End
As Democrats approach the 2014 midterm elections, they are grappling with an awkward reality: Their president's health care law -; passed almost entirely by Democrats -; remains a political liability in many states, threatening their ability to hold on to seats in the Senate and the House. As a result, party leaders have decided on an aggressive new strategy to address the widespread unease with the health care law, urging Democratic candidates to talk openly about the law's problems while also offering their own prescriptions to fix them (Parker, 2/16).

Republicans renewed their attacks on the law and the administration's efforts over the weekend --

Politico: Lee: Obamacare Delays Are 'Shameless Power Grab'
Sen. Mike Lee says President Barack Obama's executive actions delaying portions of Obamacare are "shameless" acts done purely for political reasons. "This is a shameless act, a shameless power grab that is designed to help the president and his political party achieve a particular outcome in a partisan election," the Utah Republican said on "Fox News Sunday." ... Also on appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Rep. Xavier Becerra, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, defended the president, saying he isn't rewriting the law, but is instead making sure the law is implemented correctly (Sneed, 2/16).

The Hill: Obama Creating 'A Government Of One,' Lee Says
President Obama is creating a "government of one" by ignoring the Constitution and further delaying ObamaCare's employer mandate, according to Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). The Republican senator said on "Fox News Sunday" that the president seemed to be flouting the law in order to improve Democrats' chances in the 2014 midterm elections (Hattem, 2/16).

Politico: GOP: Obamacare Hitting Seniors Hard
Republican Rep. Tom Rooney of Florida took aim today at Obamacare's impact on older Americans, saying that seniors across the country are paying "more money for fewer choices, less access and far less peace of mind." In the GOP's weekly address, Rooney castigated President Barack Obama's very public pledge that Americans of all ages would be able to keep their doctors under the health law. Since the fall, the president has had to backtrack on that statement, acknowledging that the law was forcing changes in insurance plans that meant some people were losing their physicians (Levine, 2/15).